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Eggplant Parmesan Boats

[heart_this] · Oct 8, 2014 · 26 Comments

Eggplant Parmesan Boats

Eggplant parmesan served stuffing in an eggplant with tasty Italian sausage!

With all of the stuffing that has been going on with the stuffed zucchini and stuffed spaghetti squash it was time that eggplant got stuffed and what better way to start than with stuffed eggplant parmesan! It seemed only natural to stuff eggplant with the flavours of a dish that eggplant is normally used in and this eggplant parmesan boat recipe, adapted from Skinny Taste, is super easy to make and packed with flavour. You pretty much just need to hollow out the eggplant, roast it, cook the sausage along with the eggplant that was scooped out before adding the tomato sauce, stuffing the eggplant, topping it with cheese and baking it until the cheese melts. Stuffing vegetables is always fun and this stuffed eggplant parmesan is a new favourite! I can’t wait to see what else I can stuff eggplant with!

Eggplant Parmesan Boats
The assembly in action!

Eggplant Parmesan Boats
Oh Yum! Just look at all of that eggplant parmesan with sausage and marinara spilling out!

Eggplant Parmesan Boats
Eggplant Parmesan Boats

Eggplant Parmesan Boats

Eggplant Parmesan Boats

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 4

Eggplant parmesan served stuffing in an eggplant with tasty Italian sausage!

ingredients
  • 2 medium eggplants (~6 inches in length), cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
  • 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
  • basil for garnish
directions
  1. Scoop the middle of the eggplant out leaving about 1/2 inch around the sides and chop and reserve the scooped out eggplant.
  2. Brush the inside of the eggplant shells with oil and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven, with the inside facing up, until just tender, about 10-15 minutes, before setting aside.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the sausage and onion in a pan over medium heat, breaking the sausage up as you go, until the sausage is cooked, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  5. Add the chopped reserved eggplant and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
  6. Add 1 cup of the marinara sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook to heat, about 3-5 minutes, before removing from heat.
  7. Spread the remaining marinara sauce over the bottom of a baking dish, place the eggplant shells in with the fleshy hollowed out sides up, fill them with the sauce, top with the cheeses and bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes, before serving garnished with fresh basil.
Tip: Cut cross hatches into the eggplant and cut 1/4 inch around the outside to make scooping out the inside easier.
Tip: If the eggplant shells won’t stand upright, cut a small slice from the bottom to give them a small flat area to stabilize them.
Note: You can skip pre-baking the eggplant shells and fill the raw eggplant with the sauce and bake at 350F, covered in foil, until the eggplant shells are tender and the cheese has melted but this will require about 40-50 minutes of baking time.
Option: Omit the sausage for vegetarian version.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 442, Fat 29g (Saturated 11g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 72mg, Sodium 1261mg, Carbs 24g (Fiber 9g, Sugars 12g), Protein 20g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
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Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Main Course, Pork, Recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenny says

    October 8, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    Perfect dinner idea! Love the photos!

    Reply
  2. marla {Family Fresh Cooking} says

    October 8, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    Kevin, these look fabulous!!

    Reply
  3. Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says

    October 8, 2014 at 1:16 pm

    Ooh – yum! Love the idea of stuffing eggplants!

    Reply
  4. Julie @ Table for Two says

    October 8, 2014 at 1:20 pm

    LOVE the idea of boats!! What a great way to use the eggplant!

    Reply
  5. Heather Christo says

    October 8, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    this looks SO delicious!

    Reply
  6. Matt Robinson says

    October 8, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    These are amazing, Kevin!

    Reply
  7. naomi says

    October 8, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    this is my kind of meal – hearty and easy!

    Reply
  8. Helene Peloquin says

    October 8, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    Looks incredibly delicious Kevin!

    Reply
  9. Catherine says

    October 8, 2014 at 7:55 pm

    Absolutely delicious~~this is a perfect meal and soooo good. Blessings, Catherine

    Reply
  10. Maria @ Maria Tiramisu says

    October 8, 2014 at 9:58 pm

    Your Eggplant Parmesan Boats look delicious! I love that it’s a simple, yet comforting meal – perfect for a crisp fall evening.

    Reply
  11. Gaby says

    October 8, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    I wish I had this for dinner now!

    Reply
  12. Pam Greer says

    October 9, 2014 at 12:02 am

    I don't even like eggplant and these look great!

    Reply
  13. Laurence G. says

    October 10, 2014 at 5:49 pm

    I LOVE eggplant parmigiana! This version is quite a great idea.

    Reply
  14. Kate Ramos says

    October 12, 2014 at 12:24 pm

    I love this idea! I still have loads of garden eggplant so I'm absolutely making this this week!

    Reply
  15. bev @ bev cooks says

    October 16, 2014 at 1:53 pm

    This. Is. Bad.Aw.

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    December 18, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    This was absolutely stunning! One of my top 5 recipes of all time. I added seasoning (red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning), baked the stuffed eggplants for about 45 minutes, topped them with cheese, and baked them for about 10 minutes more.

    Reply
  17. mina aaron says

    December 24, 2014 at 11:06 am

    so good, thank you

    Reply
  18. Augusto Jachetti says

    October 1, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    -Mais lento o vídeo, muito mais e só.
    Obrigado.

    Reply
  19. larry says

    October 8, 2016 at 12:56 am

    Love the picture and recipe. Eggplant one of favorites. I added some ground lamb with sausage. Awesome! Also picked a couple of fresh sweet tomatoes out of the garden. Really good. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  20. kevin says

    October 10, 2016 at 5:26 pm

    larry: I'm glad you liked it! Lamb sausage is a great addition!

    Reply
  21. Judy Goldin says

    September 24, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    I can't get sausages like you get in America. If I use minced beef, how much should I use and what spices should I use? What can I add to make it a main meal. Thank you.

    Reply
  22. Melissa Gage says

    September 2, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    Mine turned out great! Thanx for the recipe

    Reply
  23. Linda Bristow says

    September 8, 2018 at 8:23 pm

    Hi Kevin,
    I love love love all of your recipes — and I have tried many of them! Seems to me that it would be easier to cut the crosshatch pattern with a 1-inch circle around the edge of the eggplant and then bake them. The flesh could be scooped out much easier and added to the sautéed sausage/onion. I am going to try this tonight. Best, Linda Bristow– a big fan.

    Reply
  24. Gigi says

    September 29, 2018 at 5:52 am

    Once you scoop the eggplant out and oil the “boat”, be sure to bake it long enough for the eggplant to be soft, at least 20-25 minutes. Otherwise your boat may still be raw.

    Reply
  25. Carole Mason says

    September 15, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    Perhaps, you can dream up a flavourful team ~ minus the Sausage (for those in our family who don’t eat pork?)
    I’m most interested in what you can offer!

    Thanks!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Eggplant Parmesan Boats – Pinterest Recipes says:
    December 26, 2018 at 4:01 am

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