| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 baby eggplants (6 to 7 inches long and 8 to 10 ounces each)
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 1 pound lean ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, such as San Marzano, undrained
- 1 cup marinara sauce, such as Rao’s
- 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta (12 ounces)
- 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, such as Montrachet
- 2 extra-large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons julienned fresh mint leaves, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stems. Using a sharp paring knife, scoop out some of the flesh, leaving a shell that is 1/3 inch thick and reserving the scooped-out eggplant. Place the eggplant shells snugly in a single layer in a large (10-by-14-inch) rectangular baking dish. Brush the eggplant all over with 1/4 cup olive oil (use it all!) and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour 1/4 cup water in the baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the shells are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove from the oven, discard the foil, and leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile, for the lamb filling, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender. Cut the reserved scooped-out eggplant into 1/2-inch dice (you should have about 2 cups). Add the eggplant to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding more oil if it seems dry. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground lamb and cook, mashing lightly with a fork, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink. Add the oregano and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, marinara, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves in the baking dish. (You may have a little extra filling.)
- In a medium bowl, mash the ricotta, goat cheese, egg yolks, mint, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with a fork. With a spoon, place large dollops of the ricotta mixture on the lamb filling and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping is lightly browned. Serve warm, sprinkled with extra mint.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 799 |
| Total Fat | 55 g |
| Saturated Fat | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Protein | 37 g |
| Cholesterol | 247 mg |
| Sodium | 1629 mg |
Reviews
Farmer’s market is full of eggplant right now and this recipe is fabulous! I’ve made it twice in one month and I rarely repeat recipes.
Mine is baking currently. I made the seasoning Italian. I halved the ricotta mixture for 2 whole eggplants & added fresh basil to subbed in ground turkey. I dumped the water after steaming the eggplant. What did you guys do with the water? I’m thinking of heating up more marinara sauce to serve with. It looks lonely.
About every three months I roast a boneless leg of lamb and use the leftover lamb (run through food processor) for the filling. No worries about too much fat. I also reduced the amount of ricotta mixture on top. It’s always a nice change to the usual eggplant parm.
These were delicious! Excellent but sadly not super popular with the family
I’ve made the spiced lamb stuffed eggplant twice. The second time I cheated and made it more convenient- instead of boats I made it more like a casserole so I sautéed cut up eggplant first, then kept the topping. It’s still just as good!
W
My husband said this is one of the best things I’ve ever made! I made some minor additions; I added 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to the filling and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese to the cheese topping. This is fantastic!
It takes a little time, but this dish is excellent. Yum!
Absolutely disgusting! Not worth your time, effort or money. If you do decide to make this dish drain the fat completely from the lamb. I wouldn’t try again.
Delicious and worth the prep time. One thing would recommend is this: sauté the lamb first and drain the fat, because lamb is very fatty, and then add it back to the onion-eggplant mixture. I managed to spoon some of the fat off the top after it was cooked, then I blotted the top of the mixture with paper towel. Also, Ina uses more salt than I do for health concerns. I used regular sized eggplant because I couldn’t find the small ones, and I had enough filling left over for two small or one large eggplant.