STUFF EGGPLANT ITALIN STYLE

5 long purple eggplants
3 Lbs. Ground beef
1 lb. Totta’s Italian Sausage
1 cup grated romano cheese
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
6 garlic pods-minced
1 lg. Yellow onion-chopped finely
2 quarts of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Red wine

Cut eggplant lengthwise & scoop pulp w/household tablespoon. Cut eggplant pulp in approximately one inch pieces. Salt shell & pulp, let stand about 3 hrs. This will drain some of the bitterness of the eggplant.

In large skillet, add 1/4 cup olive oil, add loose Totta’s Italian Sausage, add half cup red wine and continue simmering stirring occasionally until cooked. Set aside in large bowl. Using the same skillet, add enough olive oil or half olive oil with half vegetable oil, saute onions until soft, add ground beef and saute until all is cooked. Lightly add a little salt. Add to sausage mixture.

Rinse and drain eggplant and pulp, set in large pot adding half water then par boil. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Drain water and remove the pulp. Take shells and place in long deep casserole which has sauce to cover bottom. Again in skillet, add ¼ cup olive oil, then add minced garlic, and cook but do not brown.

Add eggplant pulp, toss and cook until pulp is tender. Add to ground beef and sausage mixture, mix together and add romano cheese and breadcrumbs, mix again. Add enough spaghetti sauce for color. Fill each eggplant shell with meat/eggplant pulp mixture and top with spaghetti sauce, then sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and cook in oven at 350 degrees for and hour until sauce is all bubbling.

Serve!!