Stuffed Eggplant Italiano Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise.
• 2. Carefully scoop out the flesh, reserving shell. Coarsely chop scooped out eggplant into bite-size pieces.
• 3. Place a 12" non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and saute eggplant, green pepper, and onion in olive oil for 10-12 minutes or until onion becomes transparent. (You may have to add more olive oil or vegetable oil while sauteeing.)
• 4. Add the tomatoes and garlic to the eggplant mixture and stir to combine.
• 5. Add the beaten egg, torn bread, and Italian seasoning to the skillet and stir quickly to combine ingredients and to prevent the egg from "scrambling". Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.
• 6. Transfer mixture to reserved eggplant shells.
• 7. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• 8. Place stuffed shells in a baking dish.
• 9. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serves 6-8 (depending on the size of eggplant).

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Drain tomatoes, reserving juice, then finely chop. Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with reserved juice, water, tomato paste, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil.
• Boil eggplants and make filling while sauce simmers:
• Bring a 5- to 6-quart pot of salted water to a boil over moderately high heat.
• Prick eggplants all over with a fork. Boil eggplants, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender when pierced with a knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain and discard cooking water. When eggplants are cool enough to handle (after about 15 minutes), halve eggplants lengthwise through stem (keep stem attached). With a small sharp knife, scoop out and reserve flesh, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Very finely chop flesh and transfer to a large bowl.
• Bring rice and water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer rice, covered, until water has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and add to chopped eggplant.
• While rice cooks, combine bread and milk in a small bowl and let stand until bread has absorbed milk, then gently squeeze bread, discarding any milk.
• Add bread to rice mixture along with garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine well.
• Sprinkle inside of eggplant shells with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Firmly pack a scant 1/3-cup eggplant stuffing into each eggplant shell. (You may have some stuffing left over.)
• Fry and bake eggplants:
• Put oven rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Heat 1 inch vegetable oil in a 10-inch cast-iron or other deep heavy skillet over moderate heat until thermometer reaches 320°F and add 2 eggplant halves, stuffing sides up. Fry, turning over once using 2 slotted spoons, until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes total. Transfer, stuffing sides up, to paper towels to drain, then fry remaining eggplants, 2 halves at a time, in same manner, returning oil to 320°F between batches.
• Spoon sauce into a 3-quart (about 13- by 9-inch) nonreactive baking dish. Add eggplants, stuffing sides up, and bake, covered with foil, until sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes.