Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant Recipe
Food Recipes | Greek | Italian | Main Course | Mediterranean
This Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant sees you rowing in your little zucchini boat and it knows you’re still hungry. It knows you’re still cooking with the same Pinterest pins from 2013. Tex Mex Zucchini Boats with a Drizzle of Ranch. Do you like to steer them around your plate with your hand and make motor sounds like a kindergartener? It’s time to eat like it’s 2025. Any moment, a solar eruption could knock out the power grid and leave you wishing you’d spent your bonus check on some Bakker Buckets. So treat yourself.
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
SERVINGS
4
Ingredients
Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
- Olive oil
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
- 2 eggplants
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, one red one orange, diced
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, halved
- 32 oz grape tomatoes
- 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp Calabrian chiles
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan, for topping
- 8 slices of fresh mozzarella, for topping
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Lemon Orzo
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups dried orzo
- 2 lemons, zested & juiced (divided)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Halve eggplants. Scoop out flesh, leaving ~1/2” of a rim. Chop flesh into ~1.5” cubes and set aside.
- Salt and pepper eggplant shells. Bake in oven on greased, foil-lined sheet for 20 mins.
- While eggplant shells are baking: In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown sausage completely, then set aside (while retaining rendered fat in pan). In same pan, add olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and eggplant pulp. Sauté until just slightly tender. Add garlic, tomatoes, chiles, and olives then cook about 5 mins. Add dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are burst but not jammy. Remove from heat if eggplant is still cooking. Stir in sausage.
- After 20 mins in oven, remove eggplant and liberally stuff each shell with filling from pan. Pile filling about an inch above the rim of eggplant shell. Return stuffed eggplant to oven for 20 more mins.
- Remove eggplant from oven and top with parmesan then 2 slices of fresh mozzarella per eggplant shell. Return to oven for 10-15 mins or until cheese is fully melted.
- Remove from oven and garnish with torn basil. Serve immediately with Lemon Orzo.
Lemon Orzo
- In a large pan over medium-heat, add oil and garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth, orzo, and half of lemon zest. Bring to simmer for 10-11 mins or until most of liquid is absorbed by orzo.
- Stir in lemon juice, remaining half of lemon zest, parmesan, and parsley. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
PAIRINGS:
Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Frappato
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