Ingredients
2white eggplants,medium, stems trimmed off and halved lengthwise
3sweet Italian chicken sausage,casings removed
½onion ,small, finely diced
2garlic cloves,crushed
1⅓cupscrushed tomatoes
5basil leaves,chopped, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper ,to taste
½cuppart skim mozzarella cheese,shredded
4tspPecorino Romano,grated
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 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 ½-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 for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set them on paper towels on the counter.
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 medium-low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, until onions are translucent.
Add 1 cup chopped eggplant and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil.
Pour 1/3 cup of crushed tomatoes on the bottom of a 9×12 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 for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and eggplant is cooked through.
