Directions For the Tomato Sauce:
In a large saucepan, sweat (cook without browning) the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes, paprika, red chile and red wine and simmer over medium low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.
Direction For the Eggplant:
Cut the ends off the eggplant and remove the core, using an apple corer. Sprinkle salt liberally inside. Shake out excess salt and put the eggplants on end on some paper towels to drain for 20 minutes Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sweat (cook without browning) the onion, garlic, bell pepper, cumin and chile flakes in oil until the onion is translucent. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, stir the egg, then add the ground beef, bread crumbs, black pepper and the onion/garlic mixture and mix well. With a sharp knife, make lengthwise slits in the eggplants, starting one inch from one end and ending an inch before the other. Carefully stuff 1/4 of the meat mixture into each eggplant. Place in an oiled baking dish. Spray the eggplants with oil, cover and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
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