Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggplants - cut in half lengthwise and hollowed out
• 1 cup cooked rice - preferably short grain or arborio
• 1 cup ground beef or sausage - optional for a meat variation
• 1 medium onion - finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes - 14 oz can, drained
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese - grated, plus extra for topping
• 1/4 cup fresh basil - chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil - for cooking and drizzling
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper

Step-by-step instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sauté until translucent.
2. If using meat, add the ground beef or sausage to the pan, cooking until browned. Stir in the diced tomatoes, cooked rice, basil, and half of the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon the filling into the hollowed eggplant halves, placing them in a baking dish. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the tops are golden.

Serving suggestion

Serve warm, drizzled with good quality olive oil and a side of fresh salad or crusty bread to soak up the juices.

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Printable recipe PDF

Save this recipe for offline cooking or printing with the MedTable editorial PDF.