Application Guide

Stuffed Eggplant
Serves 2
I consider stuffed eggplant to be real home cooking. This version contains meat, mak-
ing it a main dish rather than a vegetable side. Serve it next to pasta with butter and
parsley and a simple salad.
2 slices homemade white, whole wheat, or herb bread, crusts removed
1
/
3
cup flat-leaf parsley
1 large eggplant (at least 1 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1
/
2
pound ground sirloin
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1
/
4
of a large red pepper, finely chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1
/
2
cup coarse grated mozzarella cheese
1
1
/
2
teaspoons dried marjoram or oregano
1
/
4
teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1
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4
cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese
Place the bread in a food processor and grind to coarse crumbs; you will have 1 cup.
Add the parsley and chop to make parsleyed crumbs. Remove to a bowl and set
aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Halve the eggplant lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, leaving
1
/
2
-inch sides. Sprinkle
the inside of the shells with salt. Set in a shallow 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Chop
the eggplant that was scooped out.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the
ground meat and brown for about 10 minutes. Add the onion, pepper, and egg-
plant; sauté until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the tomatoes
and cheese. Add the seasonings. Divide the filling in half and pile into the egg-
plant shells.
Toss the crumbs with the
1
/
4
cup olive oil. Sprinkle on top of the stuffed shells;
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