Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 2 medium (15 oz each white eggplants, stems trimmed off and halved lengthwise)
  • 3 links (8.4 oz sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed (I love Premio))
  • 1/2 small onion (finely diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 5 basil leaves (chopped (plus more for garnish))
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
  • 4 teaspoons grated Pecorino Romano

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  • Hollow out the flesh of the eggplant to create a boat using a melon baller or small knife, leaving a 1/2-inch of the skin all around to create a shell. Roughly chop the scooped out eggplant flesh.
  • Drop the eggplant into the boiling water and cook 3 minutes (poking it with a spoon so they stay submerged). Remove with a slotted spoon and set them on paper towels on the counter.
  • Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up while it cooks into smaller pieces. Add the onions and garlic and cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add 1 cup chopped eggplant and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil.
  • Pour 1/3 cup of crushed tomatoes on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish and place the eggplant boats on top. Season the eggplant with salt and divide the sausage and sauce evenly among the 4 eggplant boats.
  • Top each with 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon each of Pecorino Romano cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes until cheese is melted and eggplant is cooked through.