Ingredients

Scale

1 medium eggplant, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch slices
About 2 lb. fresh garden tomatoes (or canned, with juices)
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground beef (or venison)
1 medium onion, peeled & choppped
3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
2 large carrots, peeled & chopped
2 Tablespoons kale or basil pesto
4 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 – 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 – 1 cup dry macaroni (low carb or gluten free if needed)
2 – 3 Tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, rosemary)
About 2 cups packed fresh spinach or kale, chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan, Asiago or Romano cheese
Smoked salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the top: extra shredded cheese and fresh basil, parsley or oregano leaves

Instructions

Fire up the grill and prep the eggplant and tomato. Roast the eggplant and tomato on the grill until tender, turning to roast all sides. The tomatoes will roast very quickly and the eggplant will take a little longer.
Remove from heat, putting the tomatoes in a bowl to capture the juices and cover tomatoes with a plate. Set the eggplant to the side. Let both cool until comfortable to handle.
Cut the eggplant into little chunks. Once the tomatoes have cooled, the peel should come easily off the tomatoes … pull it off, cut out the cores and chop the tomatoes roughly, capturing the juices as you go.
Meanwhile, heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, ground meat, onion and garlic and cook, chopping up the meat into little pieces and stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the carrots, pesto, broth, bay leaf, eggplant, and tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer over medium low heat for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes and eggplant are soft and start to break up.
Add the macaroni and cook for about 10 minutes longer, until the pasta is tender, then stir in the herbs, spinach or kale, and shredded cheese. Stir and cook just for a few moments, until the greens are wilted.
Serve hot with extra shredded cheese and fresh herbs for garnish. Enjoy!

Notes

You can substitute zucchini for the eggplant if you are not partial to eggplant. No need to peel the zucchini!

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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