Baked Stuffed Eggplant

Eggplant a versatile vegetable who like a chameleon changes assuming the characteristic of the  spices and ingredients used by the cook. Eggplant parmesan, beautiful stacked eggplant, tomato, mozzarella towers, baked stuffed eggplant and more I could continue adding to the variety of the eggplant recipes; all equally delicious. I was moved to create this recipe one day when I was at a farmer's market and saw a beautiful array of eggplant glistening with fresh picked dew beaconing me to purchase. Once home I started thinking about how to cook the beautiful eggplant and I just decided to leave the eggplant whole hollowing out the center using the meat as stuffing and the shell as a baking dish. As a filler to substance to  the ingredients I use La Casa de Grano Fregolo Sarda a traditional Sardinian Pasta that is toasted available at Italian markets such as Eataly or on line. I loved the texture and resulting taste all the flavors marrying to create a delicious baked eggplant,  a beautifully presentation too.

1 eggplant
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup La Casa de Grano Fregolo Sarda, cooked or orzo
2 teaspoon capers
4 oz brie, rind removed and cubed
oil for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
garnish with fresh basil and thyme

Preheat oven to 400F. Gently remove top of eggplant and set aside. Cut out eggplant meat and cube. Place eggplant in bowl add lemon juice and sea salt. Put olive oil in saute pan and heat. Add garlic and saute until slightly translucent, don't brown. Add cubed eggplant, basil, thyme cooking about 5 minutes until eggplant is soft. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes after adding pine nuts, pasta and capers. Put eggplant mixture into hollowed out eggplant layering with cubed brie. Place eggplant lid on top. Drizzle with olive oil seasoning with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling starts to escape from the eggplant.  Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

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