Grilled Radicchio Salad with Sausage, Eggplant, & Mushroom Pasta

Now, we have cut down on the pasta, but not cut it out completely. I could never. I love it so much. & as pasta goes, this particular Vegetable Radiatore from Trader Joe's isn't soooo bad. Not only are the colors pretty, but its made with beets, spinach, red bell pepper, & organic wheat flour (but you'd never know - it tastes like regular pasta!) so there are "hidden veggies" as well as the vegetables we'll add to it. Then serving it with a salad helps with portion control and you guessed it, adds more veggies!

I will be the first to tell you that radicchio is a super bitter leafy vegetable, but it is also very different from the average salad leafy greens (because let's me honest, sometimes they get boring & you want to try something new) and full of nutrients like fiber, B vitamins, and even can counteract the hypertensive effects of sodium (help keep our salt intake from causing high blood pressure). If you don't mind bitter, it's worth a try. The sweetness of the honey and salty nuttiness of the pine nuts and Parmesan adds a nice range of flavors. & the picture doesn't do this salad justice, it is very pretty on the plate! Plus its easy!

Supposedly if you soak the quartered head of radicchio in an ice bath for an hour or 2 it can cut the bitterness. Make sure you leave a portion of the core holding each piece together so it doesn't fall apart on the grill. Mix together the oil and balsamic and drizzle over each quarter then season with salt and pepper. Put them on a hot gas grill, preheated to 400-425, and cook 2-3 minutes on each side to wilt. Don't let them get very charred, then you'll have more bitterness from the burnt leaves.


Toast the pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat, stirring often so they brown evenly. This should take less than 5 minutes. While they are toasting, add the honey to the leftover oil and balsamic mixture. Chop the grilled radicchio (disposing of the core pieces) and toss with dressing and pine nuts. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese. You can use shredded, but I'm not gonna lie, shaved is better.



For the pasta dish, you can use any sausage that you like: hot, sweet, or Italian; pork, turkey, or in my case, venison. Don't be afraid of deer meat! It doesn't get any more free-range or organic than this. Venison is a excellent red meat that has more protein, almost half the calories, and significantly less fat than beef. Prepared correctly (like spiced with sausage seasonings), there is no "gamey" taste. You'll see in our house we often substitute venison for ground beef or pork sausage recipes. So if you know a hunter and he (or she) is kind enough to share, you should oblige!

You really could switch up the veggies in this pasta if you want. We love mushrooms, but I know they aren't for everyone, so they could be left out. I never ate much eggplant growing up, and recently have been trying to add it into our menus. If you're unsure of it, this is a good way to sneak it in. Honestly it almost disappears in the dish. You could also add or substitute zucchini, use diced tomatoes instead of stewed (but I'd still opt for the Italian ones), or use sweet yellow onion instead of shallots or red onion (but use more since the yellow flavor isn't as strong).

Dice the eggplant into small cubes, about 1/2 inch pieces. No need to peel it. Lightly salt it and let them sit in a colander so that the excess water is drawn out. Then squeeze them dry with paper towels (or a cheese cloth) before adding them to the dish.

Go ahead and get a pot of water salted and on the stove so that its boiling when you are ready to add the pasta. Drizzle a little olive oil in a dutch oven and add the mushrooms, sauteing over medium heat until they release their moisture, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan & place in a bowl until needed.




Brown the sausage in the same dutch oven over medium high heat. Once it is mostly browned, move it to one side and add the eggplant. Let cook 3-5 minutes before stirring and start cooking the pasta. Add another drizzle of olive oil and the onions and garlic to the dutch oven. Once the onions begin to soften, add the chicken broth to deglaze any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes, including the juices, and the mushrooms back to the dutch oven and cook over medium heat until the pasta is al dente. Add the pasta to the sauce, as well as 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. This will help the sauce come together and stick to the pasta.

Let it all cook for about 5 minutes, adding more of the pasta water if it appears to get dry. Grate the cheese of your choice over the top when serving. I used a smoked provolone and hubs went ahead and added some of the shaved Parmesan for the salad, too.

Grilled Radicchio Salad
2-4 servings (depending on size) 80-160 calories per serving
5 mins prep, 10 mins cook time

• one head of Radicchio
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fig infused while balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp clover honey
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1-2 tbsp shaved Parmesan 

Sausage, Mushroom, & Eggplant Pasta 
4 servings, 450 calories per serving
10 mins prep, 30 mins cooking time

• 8 oz. mushrooms
• 1/2-3/4 lb. sausage 
• 1 small-medium eggplant 
• 1-2 shallots or 1/4 red onion
• 1 can Italian stewed tomatoes 
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp garlic
• 1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth
• 8 oz. vegetable radiatore or other pasta
• grated cheese to your liking