Italian | Will Jog For Food

I had one little lonely eggplant that was calling out for me yesterday. I could have make eggplant parm, but Jay is the master at that. I started googling recipes for stuffed eggplant recipes and found Mom’s Stuffed Eggplant by Michael Chiarello. I made a slightly healthified version of this recipe to cut back on some carbs and extra fat. The pictures don’t do it any justice. I was ravenous when I took them and wanted to eat ASAP. The verdict…DELICIOUS!

Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
3/4 pound lean ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, small diced
1 red pepper, small diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, chopped
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, divided
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 egg
1 chopped tomato

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked. Boil the scooped-out center part until very soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned ground beef to the pan and saute until all of its liquid is evaporated and the beef begins to brown slightly. Transfer to a large bowl.

In the same pan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onions, peppers and garlic together.

In a bowl mix together the cooked eggplant, vegetables, cooked beef, herbs, 1/2 cup of the cheese, bread crumbs, and the egg.

Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly among the 2 halves.

Top with chopped tomato and the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese, place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish, and bake for 45 – 50 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool briefly, slice widthwise (or keep it whole if you are hungry!) and serve.