• Ingredients

  • 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 used 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
These use white eggplant, but you could use any variety as long as they aren’t too large. The pulp that gets scooped out goes right back into the stuffing so nothing gets wasted. One boat is a complete meal and super filling, you can serve it with a side salad if you have the room!

Directions

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.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Boats with Sausage

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.

Original Recipe Source: skinnytaste.com