Ingredients
- 2 - 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
- 1 garlic clove
- Italian seasoning to taste
- 2 teaspoons sugar or to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced 1/4-1/2 inch lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80% lean)
- 1/2 large onion, diced and sautéed
- 1 whole egg
- Salt to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Place the eggplant on nonstick aluminum foil. Brush with oil and season with salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until soft.
In a large bowl, combine beef, onion, egg and salt. Work together using your hand until meat mixture thickens and the egg is encorporated into it, about 3 minutes.
Sautée the onions in a sauté pan. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the tomatoes and chop up some with a spoon. Add the seasonings, sugar and the tomato paste. Cook until it begins to thicken. If too thick, add a little chicken broth.
Place some meat mixture on a piece of eggplant and roll up, although it's so thick that it is more like a ball of meat with eggplant wrapped around it. Place in an 8x8 pan with the seam side down. Pour tomato sauce over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, loosely covered. I drained out the extra grease/juice from the sides when it was done. I also added grated Parmesan cheese to the top.
I made this a day ahead, so it took more than 25 minutes to cook.