EGGPLANT ~~ BELLA BAKED
Whether you love or are uncertain about eggplant, this may be the dish that sheds a new light on this purple fruit. This preparation has been in my family for many generations. My mama prepared it with fresh eggplant from her garden with all ingredients added by feel. So here it goes. Oh, before I present the pizazz, I bet you did not know there is a male and female eggplant. Yes, there are! The male fruit have less seed or smaller seed and are less bitter. The female fruit has a longer marking on the end of the flower blossom end of the fruit away from the stem. The male fruit has a smaller rounded spot. Go ahead......check the markings and be sure to choose a male eggplant.
Ingredients: One or two small/medium male eggplant
If one eggplant, 6 medium eggs - 2 eggplant, 12 medium eggs
2 bulbs chopped garlic - more if you love garlic
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup for one fruit, 2 cups for 2 fruits of
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Romano or other grated hard cheese
Salt/pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Large frying pan & large glass baking dish
Eggplant: Cut in half, lenghtwise
Scoop the soft part out - the soft part with seed
Chop the soft part into 1-2" pieces
Warm the extra virgin olive oil in fry pan
Add the chopped eggplant turning until it cooks down
(soft, mushy and saturated with olive oil - which will
need to be replenished at least one time)
Eggplant shells: Put those scooped side up in he glass baking dish - I
put some water on the bottom, and replenish to prevent
the shell from burning.
Separate bowl: Add all the above ingredients except for olive oil and
eggplant. Mix well. Add to fry pan with soft eggplant
on low heat. Mix well until soft eggplant mixed in and
shut stove off once firm consistency achieved.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spoon the fry pan eggplant mixture into the hollow
section of the eggplant. Bake appx. 45 minutes.
Remove from oven - add marinara sauce with mozzarella
strips on top - fresh oregano sprigs taste so good too.
Bake another 10 minutes. The result would be a soft
eggplant shell, hot marinara and melted mozzarella.
Bon Appetite!!!
