Hi everybody, before I get started talking about this recipe that I am going to post a couple of links to this post. Without these two there is no way this dish can be at least possible. However the latter is just an option to use instead of just mince. However you need mince to turn it in to Italalian sausage. First is this awesome sauce and there is this Italian sausage that you must make just the sausage part that howerver you want to make this needs 1 kilo or 1 pound of mince of turkey, veal, beef, chicken, lamb or goat.
If you are going to use the Italian sausage recipe instead of the straight mince then that is up to you. Just follow the recipe for just the sausage part only on this recipe. However if you are going to use straight up mince like I did then at first you have to cut 2 big eggplants or 4 medium sized ones in 2 equal halves. Preheat the oven to 375F or 190C.
Also you have to wash everything including your mince that is run under cold water until the water is clear and leave in a strainer until there is no more liquid remaining. In this day in age of covid19 that you really do not know who has been touching your stuff before you bought it. Even before this pandemic everyone had to be extremely careful. It has turned us all in to germaphobics like Howard Huges if everyone that is old enough remembers him.
For those who aren’t old enough to remember him I am going to enlighten you. However I was very young myself when he passed away and before hed passed away he was a recluse. He was a billionare piolet that was behind TWA it means Trans World Airlines. He also was one of the heavies in Hollywood and dated a lot of actresses. You can Google all of this about Howard Hughes if you want to and I strongly advice you do. If he was still here he would definatly panic about covid19.
Now enough of Howard Hughes it is time to carefully mark an incision in to the eggplant and do not cut through. make a square of in this and take out with your hands only the inside part of the eggplants themselves. This is an easy way to make them hollow. Now I want to do a stuffed zucchini post for this blog too and it is quite similar and we will get to it when we can. All of the vegetables has to be washed before cooking the eggplant, onions and garlic.
Cut the pulp from the eggplant in to pieces and do not throw away add to mini food processor along with 1 onion or shallot and 2 cloves of garlic rough chopped and then turn on the mini processor so it can have a fine mince.
Add this to the mince itself along with 3 dashes of balsamic vinegar, 1 pinch of black peppercorns ground in mortar and pestle, I found some green peppercorns in a store and it comes with its own grinder by McCormic. I found it in the spice Isle at Cermac here in Chicago. This is the only optional because this is to me a very rare find indeed. You can adjust it to how you want fine, medium and coarse, I chose coarse because I want more flavor. The other must haves that goes in to the mince are 1 pinch each of thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, rosemary, red pepper flakes or 1 red chili, 1 handful of oatmeal, crack and add 1 egg to the mince mixture, 1 pinch of pink salt or vegtea seasoning or 3 dashes of seasoned salt, the eggplant pulp mixture and mix this in to the mince very well and shape like you would a meatloaf almost.
In a medium sized roasting pan add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Take the hollowed out eggplant halves and lay them white side part up and the purple side down. Fill the cavities with the mince mixture or Halal Italian sausasge from my earlier post. Cover the roasting pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes, then again repeat until the eggplant is tender and the meat is done cooking.
While this is in the oven You can go ahead and make the pasta according to directions on the box and drain then put back on the pot. Also make the marinara sauce from the last post and the recipe link is above. Pull the eggplant out and check for donenes. When it is done add the marinara sauce all over the place and place 1 slice each of provolone and mozzerrella cheeses. Take a little bit of freshly cut parmasean and romano cheeses and sprinkle on top and this time do not cover the roasting pan and cook for another 10 minutes in the oven,
My pasta of choice was angel hair but like I said before it can be any type you wish, After draining and rincing put it back in the pot and then take the stuffed eggplant out of the oven and turn oven off. God forbid you do not want a gas explosion on top of all of thse mess that is happening. The cheese on the stuffed eggplant has be melted and melt it sure did.
Carefully transfer the stuffed eggplant to the pasta so it doesn’t break and carefully put the sauce all over the stuffed eggplant plus the pasta as well. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving to catch all of the flavors.
This is really beyond delicious and I am amazed that I brought the Italian restuarant home to me at this date and time of covid19 and I can really enjoy my food without the need of having to go out. It is high time for the gals that don’t want to cook because they are too lazy to start learning. Just forget about trying to catch a guy. It is time for everyone to stay inside to save yourself and keep yourself healthy. Also please do not forget to wash your hands every time you go in the kitchen and you handle food.
Also if you are opening cans, please wash the tops of the lids off before opening because you don’t know who has been touching them.
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