Juicy baked eggplant tucked under a rich beef sauce, finished with melting mozzarella and a savory dusting of Grana Padano — a cozy everyday dish with real depth of flavor. The eggplants are baked until tender first, then filled with the meat sauce and cheese and baked again until the top turns golden and irresistibly appetizing.
Ingredients
- Eggplants — 2 large, whole
- Ground beef — 14.1 oz | 400 g
- Yellow onion — 1/2
- Carrot — 1
- Celery stalk — 1
- Garlic — 2 cloves
- Crushed tomatoes — 7 oz | 200 g
- Grana Padano — 0.7 oz | 20 g, finely grated
- Mozzarella — 4.4 oz | 125 g
- Olive oil — 2 tbsp | 30 ml
- Dried oregano — 1 tsp | 5 ml
- Fresh parsley — 2 tbsp, chopped
- Sugar — a pinch
- Salt, black pepper — to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- Preheat the oven to 392°F | 200°C, using top and bottom heat with convection. Pierce the eggplants in 3–4 places and brush lightly with oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, until tender.
- While the eggplants are baking, heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Sauté the finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for 5–7 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, break it up with a spatula, and cook for 6–8 minutes until nicely browned.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, then add the oregano, a pinch of sugar, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove the eggplants, split them lengthwise without cutting all the way through, and gently mash the flesh with a fork to form boats.
- Spoon the meat sauce into the boats, scatter over the Grana Padano, and top with pieces of mozzarella.
- Return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned and the surface is bubbling beautifully. Serve hot, with fresh herbs if you like.
Nutritional value per serving
| Calories | ≈ 470 kcal |
| Protein | ≈ 34 g |
| Fat | ≈ 34 g |
| Carbohydrates | ≈ 10 g |
| Fiber | ≈ 4 g |
| Sodium | ≈ 700 mg |
📹 Watch the video recipe on our Telegram channel: @alwaysyummy
Tips and variations
- No convection: bake at 392°F | 200°C in conventional mode, increasing each stage by 5–8 minutes.
- Cheese: Grana Padano can be replaced with Parmesan or Pecorino; mozzarella can be swapped for suluguni or provolone.
- Heat: add a pinch of chili flakes to the sauce or sauté a hot pepper with the vegetables.
- Tip: if the eggplants are very large, extend the first bake to 50 minutes — the flesh should be soft and easy to fluff with a fork.
- Storage: keep cooled leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat in the oven at 356°F | 180°C for 10–12 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I replace the ground beef with another meat?
Yes, turkey, chicken, or a beef-and-pork blend will work well. If using lean mince, add 1 tbsp | 15 ml of oil and make sure the sauce does not dry out — you can add a little water or stock.
What if my oven has no convection?
Cook in conventional top-and-bottom heat at 392°F | 200°C, increasing each baking stage by 5–8 minutes. For a more browned crust, you can turn on the top heat for 1–2 minutes at the end.
Do I need to salt the eggplants first to remove bitterness?
If the eggplants are young, no extra step is needed. Larger or more mature eggplants can taste more bitter — cut them lengthwise, lightly salt the flesh, leave for 15 minutes, then blot dry and bake.