Directions

• Wash the eggplant, and cut it in half lengthwise.
• With a spoon, carve out part of the interior of each half while removing seeds, leaving a neat cavity for the filling.
• Sprinkle the insides of the eggplant halves with salt, turn them upside down, and let them stand for about one hour on a rack (to allow for breathing).
• In a medium-sized frying pan cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat for about three minutes.
• Add the sausage and ground beef.
• Cook for about four to five minutes more, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to mix the meat.
• Mix in the tomatoes, basil and parsley.
• Cook for two or three more minutes.
• Turn off the heat, and when cool enough to handle, thoroughly mix in the breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Fill the eggplant halves with the filling, and put them in a shallow glass baking dish. (It may be necessary to touch the sides of the halves together to keep them propped up and level).
• Add about one-half inch of water into baking dish.
• Bake the halves for forty-five minutes at 350 degrees.
• Carefully pull out the oven rack and sprinkle on the Mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for about another ten minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
• Remove the eggplant halves from the pan, and serve hot.
• (As an alternative, zucchini (small Italian squashes) may be used. They will require the same treatment and cooking time, however the mixture listed here will fill about eight zucchini).

Serves 4 Fallen Vegetarians Shamelessly.