This stuffed eggplant recipe is an amazing family recipe. Tender eggplant combines with spicy Italian sausage and is topped with a homemade red sauce to make this incredible dinner recipe.
This delicious recipe comes from my dear grandma, an Italian immigrant who came to this country when she was just 12 years old. Though she is no longer with us, she continues to be an inspiration for me. She was an amazing cook and I have no doubt that if she put out a cookbook today, it would be a best seller!
While she was an amazing cook, she probably wouldn’t write a cookbook because she literally never wrote down a single recipe. She cooked from memory and from her gut. My mom told me that she would chase my grandma around the kitchen, trying to write down what she was doing.
“How much salt was that??” my mom would ask.
“I don’t know, a dash!” my grandma would respond.
So in a way, all this amazing cooking was sort of lost
Because of her from-the-gut cooking, this stuffed eggplant recipe is loosely based on how she made it. But you’ll love it just the same. Lots of spicy sausage stuffed into tender eggplant, smothered with her homemade sauce, it’s a savory and filling meal that everyone will love! Even if you don’t think you’re an eggplant fan, you will like this.
How to Make Stuffed Eggplant
Here is a brief overview of how this stuffed eggplant recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Par boil the eggplant shells and its pulp. Read more on the process of cutting, boiling, and shocking eggplant below. Dice the cooked eggplant pulp to be added to the filling.
- Make the filling. Combine the uncooked sausage, breadcrumbs, eggs, eggplant pulp, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together using clean hands.
- Stuff the eggplant. Fill the eggplant shells with the filling mixture, place them into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Mash the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer while the eggplant is in the oven.
- Add the sauce and continue baking. Top the eggplant with the tomato sauce, and put it all back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes. Garnish with freshly minced parsley and enjoy.
How to Make Breadcrumbs
Choosing Eggplants For This Recipe
When choosing an eggplant for this recipe, pick one that is medium-sized and slightly firm. If it is mushy or rock-hard, keep looking. It should be smooth and shiny. This recipe can be made with two large eggplants or three small-medium eggplants.
Par Boiling Eggplants For Stuffed Eggplant
We start by par boiling the eggplant, which ensures both the eggplant and filling are fully cooked by the end of the baking time. Immediately transferring the eggplant shells and pulp to an ice bath, also known as “shocking,” stops the cooking process. This results in a perfectly tender eggplant that’s easy to handle and holds its shape when filled with the stuffing.
- Cut the eggplant in half the long way so you have two eggplant halves. Remove the pulp using a spoon. (You can see a picture of this above.)
- Boil the eggplant. Add the pulp followed by the eggplant into your pot of boiling water and boil for five minutes.
- Transfer to an ice bath. Gently transfer the eggplant to a bowl filled with ice and let sit for five minutes. This preserves the eggplant’s texture and color, preventing it from overcooking, especially since it will also be baked in the oven later.
- Drain and dice. Drain well in a colander. Gently squeeze the eggplant pulp to remove excess water, then dice it.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover stuffed eggplant in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the oven or microwave until heated through. Always use your best discretion when storing and eating leftovers.
Side Dishes for Stuffed Eggplant
With your oven busy with the stuffed eggplant, I thought I would give you three oven-free sides; there is one that isn’t cooked, one made not he stove-top, and one for the air fryer.
- Arugula Salad: Seen here with the eggplant, arugula is the perfect pairing.
- Creamed Spinach: Absolutely mouthwatering, but delightfully easy as well, this stove top side is perfect.
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts: This recipe has very little hands on time, but is perfection with stuffed eggplant.
If you make this stuffed eggplant recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think and would be so grateful if you came back and left a comment!
Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants see note
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon table salt)
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage (453.6 grams)
- 1 cup bread crumbs (112 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (3/4 teaspoon table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce Recipe
- 28 ounces whole tomatoes undrained (794 grams)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Using a spoon, remove the inside of the eggplant so that approximately 1/4 inch of the shell remains. (See a photo of this in the post.) The eggplant will brown very quickly during this process, but it won't affect the taste at all.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the salt and then add in the eggplant pulp and shells. Boil for 5 minutes. Please note that the eggplant will float, so it works best to add the pulp first and then the shells. Read more about par boiling the eggplant shells and their pulp above.2 large eggplants, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- After boiling, gently transfer the eggplant to a bowl filled with ice and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander. Gently squeeze the eggplant pulp to rid it of excess water, then dice it. Note that the eggplant shells will be delicate, be careful as you handle them so they don't tear.
- In a large bowl, combine the uncooked sausage, breadcrumbs, eggs, diced eggplant, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.1 pound hot Italian sausage, 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 eggs, 4 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Fill the eggplant shells with the mixture, place them into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes.
- While the eggplant cooks, make the sauce. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.28 ounces whole tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Bring the sauce to a boil. Using a potato ricer, mash up the tomatoes. Turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer while the eggplant finishes cooking.
- After 30 minutes, top the eggplant with the sauce, and put it all back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with freshly minced parsley and enjoy.
Notes
Eli@coachdaddy says
I love that you found this recipe, and that it can live on now. We as sons and daughters of cooks have to remember, too, that our kids are going to want to know how we make their favorites. We have to trust ourselves and our ability to create, just as our parents did.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I always forget how much I love eggplant!! Love this. And the family photos!
heather @french press says
grandma recipes are the best! such great family photos Lisa
Kirsten says
Lisa,
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve added it to the Farm Fresh Feasts Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me who love to eat from the farm share.
I appreciate your help in making this index better!
Thanks Kirsten!
Ruth Leather says
I can’t wait to make this recipe for my 95 year old eggplant loving mother-in-law! Thank you for sharing this recipe that is near and dear to your heart.
I hope she absolutely loves it!