Whole-Wheat Penne with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 10 ounce mushrooms, chopped
• Salt
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 pound whole-wheat penne
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. 1. Mist a slow-cooker insert with cooking spray. Combine butter, onion, celery, carrot and garlic in slow cooker. Add eggplant, mushrooms and 1 tsp. salt. Stir in tomatoes, cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. Stir once or twice during cooking.
2. 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook penne until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, toss with sauce, sprinkle with basil (and grated Parmesan, if desired) and serve.