Fettuccini with Sausage, Bacon, and Eggplant

Years ago when I lived in NYC, I used to have drinks at the now-defunct Café des Artistes (R.I.P.). This restaurant was an institution and had the best bartender in the US named Victor. His discretion was exemplary. I went there with my friend Brady and he bought me a sidecar, then another, then another. He actually would have my glass refilled when my back was turned. I could have killed him the next day, not sure how I got home that night!

Anyway, in 1988, I bought The Café des Artistes Cookbook for my then-boyfriend / now-husband Eric. So, I thought it would be fun to make something for dinner from the book. I chose Fettuccini with Sausage, Bacon, and Eggplant. Typically, I don’t follow the recipe exactly, mainly because I am lazy. I eliminate steps that seem unnecessary. This recipe is an absolute MESS! The first instruction is to sauté bacon in olive oil. WTF?!?! WHY!?!? Then you are meant to blanch the eggplant (eggplant requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes ONLY before freezing it!). The next HORRIFYING step is to blanch the sausage! @#%$&???????? Serves 4 > actually it serves 6! Here is the REVISED recipe.