Mike's Baked Stuffed Eggplant
Submitted by nghilotti
Mike’s Baked Stuffed Eggplant fills eggplant shells with a Parmesan, breadcrumb, and egg stuffing, then bakes over a rustic potato-tomato sauce for 90 minutes. A hearty Italian-style vegetarian main.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minThis is a proper stuffed eggplant recipe with a clever supporting act: a potato-tomato sauce that cooks in the same baking dish. While the eggplant bakes for over an hour, cubed potato, canned Roma tomatoes, garlic, and oregano simmer beneath it, absorbing the juices that drip from the stuffing and building into a thick, rich sauce to spoon over at serving.
The stuffing itself is a classic Italian preparation: the scooped-out eggplant flesh gets sauteed with onion until soft and lightly browned, then mixed with fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan, three beaten eggs, and parsley. The eggs set during baking, holding the stuffing firm rather than loose. Fresh breadcrumbs (not dried) are specified, and they make a difference in texture.
Score the eggplant flesh in a half-inch crosshatch pattern before scooping, leaving a half-inch rim. That rim is structural; if it’s too thin the shell collapses under the weight of the stuffing.
The recipe notes you can prep to the stuffing stage and refrigerate for up to three hours, which makes this a viable dinner party dish.
Chef Tips
- Spoon a few tomato pieces from the sauce onto the tops of the stuffed eggplant as directed; it prevents the filling from drying out during the long bake
- The sauce reduces significantly during baking; don’t worry if it looks like a lot of liquid going in
- Cut each half in two pieces to serve, which extends the portions elegantly
- Test the potatoes with a knife before pulling from the oven; they should be completely tender
Variations
- Add crumbled Italian sausage to the stuffing mixture for a meat version
- Substitute pecorino Romano for the Parmesan for a sharper, saltier flavor
Ingredients
Directions
Do not peel the eggplant. Slice off the green cap and cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to score the meat into ½-inch cubes, leaving ½-inch rim around the edge. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and coarsely chop it.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the eggplant cubes and the onion to the skillet and sauté over low heat, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is softened and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and parsley. Season with the salt and black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃) (F).
Sprinkle the eggplant shells lightly with salt and pepper and divide the stuffing between them. [The recipe may be made ahead up to this point and wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 hours.]
To make the Potato-Tomato Sauce, coat the bottom of a 7-by-11 inch baking dish with the 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Pour the can of tomatoes into the baking dish and cut them into quarters with a sharp knife or the side of a spoon. Add the water to the pan. Peel the potato and cut it into thin (no more than ¼ inch thick) slices. Stack the slices, cut them into ¼ inch strips, and cut the strips into small cubes. Add them to the tomato mixture in the baking dish, along with the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set the stuffed eggplant shells on top of the tomato mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the tops of the eggplant and into the sauce, and spoon a few pieces of tomato from the sauce onto the tops of the eggplant to help keep it moist. Drizzle a teaspoon or two of olive oil over the tops of the eggplant.
Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the potatoes are tender and the tops of the eggplant are lightly browned, about 1 to 1¼ hours. The sauce will reduce quite a bit as it cooks. Cut each stuffed eggplant in half, and serve one piece each with some sauce spooned over it.
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