Italian Sausage Eggplant Boats
Eggplants create a great natural framework to hold any number of fillings. In this dish, create a spin on classic Italian flavors to enjoy comfort food with less guilt!
Embracing neutrality. The nice thing about eggplant (and challenge in showcasing it by itself) is that it is a very neutral flavor, absorbing the flavors from the rest of the dish. The positive of this is that you can bring out some wonderful flavors that stretch throughout the whole recipe with minimal ingredients. On the flip side, this can also end up with a pile of soggy, oily and flavorless bites. What I found worked really well in this recipe was actually going a little light on sauce. Many times with baked Italian food, it is drawn with a sauce and covered in cheese before baking. By keeping the ingredients fresh and light inside the eggplant, the flavors came through without overpowering the eggplant.
Quality over Quantity. While I always suggest using quality ingredients when able, I’m not above the occasional can or frozen bag to save some time or jarred spices. They are a staple in most kitchens and have a very great use. As mentioned above, such a large portion of this dish is made up from the eggplant, which is a sponge for any flavors that you add on top. Because of this, instead of thinking of cooking the filling as prepping for the dish to bake, you are creating the entire flavor profile. Take the time to sweat the onions and get a great flavor from the garlic. Use a quality mushroom and get a little caramelization out of them. And fresh herbs really are the frosting on the cake here! Your tastebuds will thank me 🙂
Looking for other ways to use eggplant? Try out:
Roasted Eggplant and Olive Salad
This recipe was created as part of the Tour of the Markets challenge, where I try to use seasonal produce in new and creative ways. Follow along here!
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Italian Sausage Eggplant Boats
Equipment
- Skillet
- Kitchen knife
- Baking Pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 large Eggplant
- 1/2 pound Italian Sausage
- 2 medium Tomatoes
- 1 bunch Fresh Basil
- 1 stalk Fresh Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 3/4 cup Sliced Mushrooms
- 1/4 cup Onion
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2/3 cup Mozzerrella
- 2 tbsp Crumbled Feta
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Slice the eggplant lengthwise in half and scrape out the seeds, creating a nice cavity inside each half.
- In skillet, warm olive oil and add onion, cooking until softened and fragrant. Add Italian sausage.
- Once sausage has started to brown, add in garlic, mushrooms, crushed pepper, salt and pepper. Cook until all are tender, and the meat is cooked through. Transfer to mixing bowl.
- Finely chop fresh herbs (save a few leaves of basil for garnish) and the fresh tomato and add to the mixture, stirring well. Add about half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Scoop the mixture into each eggplant and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes until cheese has started to brown on the top and eggplant is soft.
- Serve with chopped basil and feta for garnish. Enjoy! Variation-for a more pasta consistency, add a few scoops of your favorite marinara sauce to the mixture before filling the eggplant.
