Stuffed Eggplant

Recipe View Prepare the Stage: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Eggplant Prep: With a sharp paring knife, score the flesh of each eggplant half, leaving a ½-inch border. Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving a ½-inch-thick shell. Reserve the flesh and dice into bite-sized pieces. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Season and Set Aside: Brush the eggplant shells with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside on the prepared baking sheet. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Sausage Sauté: Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are softened. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Combine and Simmer: Stir in the reserved chopped eggplant and parsley. Add the tomato-basil pasta sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bind and Enrich: Mix in ½ cup of the panko breadcrumbs and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese into the sausage mixture. This will help bind the filling and add richness. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Stuff and Crown: Generously stuff the eggplant shells with the sausage mixture. In a small bowl, combine the remaining panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the stuffing in each eggplant shell. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake to Perfection: Bake in the preheated oven until the eggplant is tender and the topping is golden brown, approximately 45-50 minutes. (50 minutes)

Recipe View Rest and Serve: Let the stuffed eggplants rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to settle and the eggplant to cool slightly.