A local winery/restaurant serves a sausage-stuffed eggplant appetizer that is so delicious. While trying to duplicate it at home, I found this to be one of our favorite eggplant dinners. Be sure to select an eggplant that is smooth, blemish-free and kind of heavy for it's size. Serve with a green salad.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant , 1 1/2 pound
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- bulk Italian sausage
- 0.25 teaspoons garlic powder
- 0.25 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 0.13 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce , divided
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese , divided
- 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
- 1 egg , beaten
Instructions
-
1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
-
2
Brush cut sides of eggplant with olive oil; place, cut-sides up, onto a baking sheet.
-
3
Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then allow to cool slightly. Keep the oven on.
-
4
Meanwhile, brown Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat; drain off grease. Transfer sausage to a mixing bowl; season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, and egg; mix well.
-
5
Scoop out flesh of roasted eggplant, once cooled, to within 1/2-inch of the skin to create a shell. Roughly chop eggplant flesh; fold into sausage mixture. Divide evenly among two eggplant shells; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
-
6
Bake in the preheated oven until the filling has set and the cheese is bubbly and golden-brown, about 30 minutes. While the eggplant is baking, warm the remaining 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat to serve with the eggplant.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
Want to cook this?
Open in the PantryLink app to scale servings, check your pantry stock, and generate a shopping list.
Sign In to Save Recipe Create Free AccountSuggest an Edit
Help improve this recipe's categorization, image, or dietary info. Earn points and badges!
Suggest Changes in AppPrefer a printed copy? Use our print-friendly view with adjustable servings and font size.
Open Print ViewMore Greek Recipes
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
This vegetarian dish is so filling, and I love it because its incredibly versatile. You can add whatever spices and vegetables you like!
Artichoke Salad
A flavorful, Italian-style, Rice-A-Roni salad with artichokes.
Special Italian Easter Pizza
This Easter pizza recipe is based on a pizza rustica my Italian college roommate's family would send us for Easter dinner every year. I loved it and asked for the recipe, but I was told I could not have it! So I tweaked a few recipes I found myself, and my final result is better than the original.