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!
The assembly in action!
Oh Yum! Just look at all of that eggplant parmesan with sausage and marinara spilling out!
Eggplant Parmesan Boats
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
- Scoop the middle of the eggplant out leaving about 1/2 inch around the sides and chop and reserve the scooped out eggplant.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the chopped reserved eggplant and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- 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.
- 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: 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.
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Perfect dinner idea! Love the photos!
Kevin, these look fabulous!!
Ooh – yum! Love the idea of stuffing eggplants!
LOVE the idea of boats!! What a great way to use the eggplant!
this looks SO delicious!
These are amazing, Kevin!
this is my kind of meal – hearty and easy!
Looks incredibly delicious Kevin!
Absolutely delicious~~this is a perfect meal and soooo good. Blessings, Catherine
Your Eggplant Parmesan Boats look delicious! I love that it’s a simple, yet comforting meal – perfect for a crisp fall evening.
I wish I had this for dinner now!
I don't even like eggplant and these look great!
I LOVE eggplant parmigiana! This version is quite a great idea.
I love this idea! I still have loads of garden eggplant so I'm absolutely making this this week!
This. Is. Bad.Aw.
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.
so good, thank you
-Mais lento o vídeo, muito mais e só.
Obrigado.
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.
larry: I'm glad you liked it! Lamb sausage is a great addition!
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.
Mine turned out great! Thanx for the recipe
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.
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.
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!
can you freeze them?
Yes you can!