Another delicious dinner made with mom, 10+/10! This is a bit involved...totally worth it, though, we assure you! We only had 6 oz. of feta cheese on hand; it still tasted awesome, but we really wished we'd had the full amount plus some for garnish. Also discovered that scoring the eggplant pulp and using a grapefruit spoon makes it easier to "scoop out" the pulp.
Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/baked-stuffed-eggplant-italian-sausage
Recipe below contains my modifications.
Ingredients:
7 T. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 3/4 tsp. salt, divided
2 or 3 small eggplants (~1 1/2 lbs.--for us, this was just 2 and it made plenty)
1/4 lb. mild Italian sausage (casing removed if in link form)
1 c. chopped yellow onion
1 lb. Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 T. bottled minced garlic (or 3 cloves fresh)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 T. plus 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano, divided
2 T. plus 2 tsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 c. jarred marinara sauce (we used Classico Sweet Basil)
Directions:
1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the pulp (we made "chunk" sections), then scoop out the pulp, enough to leave a 1/4" shell.
2. Roughly chop the pulp (original recipe says 1/2" cubes), reserve.
3. Sprinkle the inside of the eggplant shells with 1 tsp. of the salt. Invert the shells onto a clean, dry towel. Let stand for 30 min to drain.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat 3 T. of the olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisped (~5-6 min).
5. Remove from heat, then stir in the lemon zest and 1/4 tsp. of the salt. Set aside.
6. Once the eggplant shells have finished draining, heat broiler on "HI" with oven rack 5-6" from the element. Pat the shells dry, then brush with 1 T. of the olive oil. Place the shells cut side up on a baking sheet. Broil until just tender (~ 5 min). Remove from oven, then set oven to 375°F.
7. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 T. of the olive oil. Add sausage and cook, stirring often and breaking into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until sausage has browned (~7-8 min).
8. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel lined plate, reserving drippings in skillet (I did not end up with much drippings).
9. Heat remaining 2 T. of olive oil in the skillet (still over medium-high heat). Add the reserved chopped eggplant pulp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (~2-3 min).
10. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for additional 2-3 min.
11. Add the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for additional 2-3 min.
12. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl, then add the cooked sausage, the feta, 1/2 c. of the breadcrumbs, egg, 2 T. of oregano, 2 T. parsley, and vinegar. Stir until combined evenly.
13. Place the eggplant shells cut side up, in a baking dish. Fill the shells with the mixture from the large bowl, dividing evenly among the shells. Use the remaining breadcrumbs to top the filled shells, again dividing evenly among them. Transfer to oven to bake for 30 min.
14. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the marinara sauce, remaining 2 tsp. oregano, and remaining 2 tsp. parsley. Heat over low until just warmed through (~4-5 min.).
15. Top the baked shells with the marinara sauce and sprinkle with additional feta. Serve and enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment