The Sunday Cookbook: Baked Stuffed Eggplant with Sausage

It's hearty, flavorful, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

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Our garden has been overflowing with eggplant this season. I have been experimenting with various eggplant-based dishes since Amanda cannot have eggplant due to her nightshades restriction. Still, this baked stuffed eggplant with sausage recipe has quickly become a favorite.

The combination of flavors and textures is simply irresistible. Serve these hearty eggplant boats as a main course with a side of crusty bread and a fresh green salad. I used medium to large eggplants, but you can also adapt the recipe, using small eggplants and serving them as an appetizer if you prefer.

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The Sunday Cookbook:

Baked Stuffed Eggplant with Sausage

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Ingredients

• 1 medium to large eggplant or 4 small eggplants

• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, or plant-based sausage

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ cup breadcrumb, give or take

• 1 egg

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Dried basil and parsley, to taste

• ¼ cup parmesan cheese

• 2 cups of marinara sauce

• Shredded mozzarella cheese

• Olive oil

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare a baking dish with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Cut eggplants in half, longways. With a spoon, scoop out the insides of the eggplant, leaving enough to allow it to hold its shape. Set the "eggplant guts" aside for later.

3. Add a little oil to a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Then, add the sausage meat, breaking it up as you add it to the pan. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink.

4. Add in the eggplant guts and cook until the eggplant is soft. When done place the cooked mixture into a bowl.

5. In the bowl, add your breadcrumbs and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes dry and firm. If needed, add in more breadcrumbs.

6. Add the egg, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, and parmesan cheese. Using the wooden spoon or your hands, mix until everything is incorporated.

7. Take eggplant shells and fill them with the sausage mixture. Evenly distribute the marinara sauce over the top of each eggplant and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, as desired.

8. Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until eggplant shells are cooked.