Chef's recipe for mushroom and eggplant ragu with napa Caesar salad will get you ready for fall

Chef Max Robbins joined "Good Morning America" from the Windy City on Thursday to share a delicious weeknight meal that's great for anyone who's ready to rotate out their recipes for late summer and early fall.

Robbins, the culinary director for Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants and executive chef of The Oakville Grill & Cellar in Chicago, paired a hearty no-meat ragu pasta with his a riff on a classic Caesar that uses crunchy cabbage and bitter radicchio in addition to the typical romaine lettuce.

Check out the full recipes below.

Napa Caesar Salad

Servings: 1 salad; Dressing makes 2 cups (roughly enough for 4 salads)

Ingredients

1/4 cup Buttermilk Dressing (or desired amount to taste), recipe follows

1 cup romaine lettuce hearts, chopped

1/2 cup napa cabbage, sliced thin

1/2 cup radicchio, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, minced

1/2 lemon

12-14 sourdough croutons

1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh ground pepper to taste

For the dressing:

12-16 cloves garlic confit

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 ounces triple creme brie cheese, rind removed

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 teaspoon Tabasco

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons onion powder

8-14 white anchovies

3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

7/8 cup buttermilk, full fat

1 tablespoon reserved garlic confit oil

Directions

For the dressing:

Add all the ingredients into a blender, except for the buttermilk, mayonnaise and garlic oil.

Blend on high for about 15-20 seconds until smooth, using a ladle to move the mixture around.

Add in the mayonnaise and then stream in the buttermilk and oil.

Chill before serving, about one hour.

To assemble:

Toss the lettuce, napa cabbage and radicchio in the buttermilk dressing and squeeze juice from half a lemon.

Add in 1 tablespoon of the chives and half of the croutons and toss.

Plate the salad mixture and top with remaining croutons, Parmesan cheese, the other half of the chives and cracked black pepper to taste.

Tips:

1. Notice this dish doesn't use much oil at all. The buttermilk stands in for oil and adds a tangy light fresh twist. Try to find a full fat buttermilk from a farmstand or specialty store, it's still much healthier than oil.

2. Lightly toss the lettuces with dressing -- more of an open hand lift and fold than a press or squeeze. Don't crush the beautiful greens.

3. When plating, gently add the lettuce in layers building height in the salad, lightly push the bottom sides in so it looks big and fresh.

4. Omit the anchovies and Worcestershire sauce and sub with a few splashes of soy sauce, liquid amino and/or a miso paste for a vegetarian Caesar with deep flavor.

5. Save the garlic confit oil to recook more garlic or flavor other dishes.

Mushroom & Eggplant Ragu

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

For the pasta:
1 box (8.8 ounces) dried pappardelle pasta (De Cecco or compatible brand)
1 batch Ragu Sauce (recipe follows)
16 tablespoon grated Parmesan, divided (8 tablespoons for sauce recipe; 8 tablespoons to top the finished dish)
1/4 cup pasta water
1 stick of butter, cut into smaller pieces
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (store bought)
12-16 basil leaves to garnish

For the ragu sauce:
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced
4 cups vegetable oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1/4 medium sized sweet onion, small dice
1 small carrot, peeled and small dice
1 rib celery, leaves removed, small dice
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon Italian herb spice blend (store bought)
1 pinch nutmeg grated
1 tablespoon truffle zest
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons white wine
25-ounce jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1/2 cup milk

Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Heat the ragu sauce in a large saucepan with butter.
Cook on medium heat and mix until it all melts and blends together, about 5 minutes.
Cook pasta 1 minute less than recommended box time.
Add the pasta to the sauce with 1/4 cup pasta and 8 tablespoons Parmesan, and mix well, then simmer on medium heat for 1 minute until the pasta starts to turn a little orange in the sauce.
Plate in 4 separate bowls, topping with any sauce left in the pot.
Top with bread crumbs, remaining grated parmesan, then finish with fresh basil.

For the ragu sauce:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Peel and dice the eggplant.
Place the eggplant in an oven safe pan or pot, top with vegetable oil and cover.
Cook the eggplant in the oil for about 1 hour or until golden and caramelized. Carefully strain oil and discard.
While the eggplant is cooking, pulse the mushrooms in a food processor or finely chop by hand.
Place mushrooms on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, mixing every 5 minutes. Should be roasted dark and dried out, but not burnt.
To make the sauce, start by melting the butter in a pot.
Saute the diced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic over medium heat, about 15 minutes until soft and lightly caramelized.
Add the strained eggplant and dried cremini mushroom and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the Italian herbs, nutmeg, salt, sugar and truffle zest, and cook, mixing for about 1 minute.
Add the white wine and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the marinara sauce, milk, and some butter, and bring to a simmer. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Adjust salt and sugar as needed to taste.

Tips:

1. Save eggplant poaching oil -- it is infused with so much flavor! This can be used to cook more eggplant or confit another vegetable, preserve pickled vegetables a la giardiniera, or add flavor to a salad dressing.
2. Choose a classic marinara sauce for the base, too many flavors will compete with all the other ingredients.
3. For an extra kick, you can toss the bread crumbs with chili flakes and a splash of olive oil (or sambal or Calabrian chili puree) and re-toast. Or use leftover sourdough to make your own bread crumbs.
4. Don't skip out on cooking the pasta in the sauce. A little less time in water and a little more time simmering in sauce will make a high difference in texture and flavor.
5. Sub white mushrooms for cremini if unavailable.

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