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stuffed eggplant boats

Savory Stuffed Eggplant Boats

Delicious Savory Stuffed Eggplant Boats recipe with step-by-step instructions.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 925
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the boats:
  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pinches kosher salt
For the filling and topping:
  • 1 cup eggplant pulp (chopped into 1/2-inch cubes)
  • 1 large tomato (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese
  • 6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 3.5 oz diced prosciutto
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 fresh basil leaves (torn)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze (for drizzling)

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the pulp, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell intact—this creates the boat structure. Chop enough of the scooped pulp into 1/2-inch cubes to yield 1 cup, discarding any excess. Place the eggplant shells in an oiled baking dish, brush the cut sides with 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with kosher salt and black pepper, then bake for 25-30 minutes until the shells soften and begin to brown around the edges. This prebaking step allows the eggplant to release moisture and become tender enough to hold the filling without collapsing.
  2. While the eggplant shells bake, prepare the filling by combining the 1 cup of chopped eggplant pulp from Step 1 with the diced tomato, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, prosciutto, minced garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and torn basil leaves in a large bowl. I like to mix the cheese and prosciutto together first, which helps distribute the salt and umami flavors more evenly throughout the filling rather than having pockets of concentrated meat. Stir gently to combine all ingredients, being careful not to break up the mozzarella too much—you want it to stay in distinct pieces so it creates pockets of melted cheese throughout the finished dish.
  3. Remove the precooked eggplant shells from the oven and divide the filling mixture evenly between them, mounding it gently into each boat. Return the stuffed eggplants to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the filling is heated through and the edges of the shells are tender. After the 20 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle any remaining cheese over the tops of the boats, then return to the oven for just 2 minutes until the cheese melts and turns golden—watching carefully so it doesn't brown too much.
  4. Remove the eggplant boats from the oven and let them rest for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to serving plates and drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze just before serving. The slight cooling time allows the filling to set just enough to hold together when plated, while staying warm and creamy in the center.