Ingredients:
2 sausage links (hot or sweet), casings removed
1¾ cups tomato sauce, divided
4 eggplant slices (lengthwise, ~½” thick)
1 egg (½ for coating, ½ for filling)
Breadcrumbs, olive oil
¾ cup ricotta
¼ cup shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt, pepper, fresh basil (for garnish)
Instructions:
- Cook sausage: Brown sausage in a pan. Set aside half. Simmer remaining half with 1¼ cups tomato sauce for 15 minutes.
- Prep eggplant: Peel and slice eggplant. Dip in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, then brown in olive oil. Bake on parchment at 350°F for 15 min until tender.
- Make filling: Mix ricotta, ½ egg, Parmesan, mozzarella, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble: Spoon ½ cup plain tomato sauce into a parchment-lined 9″ baking dish. Lay 2 eggplant slices on top. add ricotta filling, then top with remaining eggplant slices. Cover with sausage-tomato sauce.
- Bake: Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375°F for 15 min. Reduce to 350°F and bake 25 min more. Uncover, top with mozzarella, and bake until melted.
- Finish: Let rest 10 min. Top with heated reserved sausage and torn basil before serving.
Recipe by Jenn Borealo, Culinary Specialist
