This tasty dish makes a great meatless meal. It's simple, but healthy.

Ingredients

• 4 small eggplants
• salt
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup white rice, precooked for 10 minutes (just to soften the rice)
• ¼ cup parsley, minced
• 1 Tbs basil, minced
• 1 Tbs thyme, leaves minced
• 1 Tbs oregano, minced
• 1 Tbs sage, minced
• ¾ cup Ricotta cheese
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• black pepper, freshly ground
• ½ cup bread crumbs, toasted
• ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and carefully hollow out the halves, leaving a ½” of flesh. Keep the inside of the eggplant.
2. Sprinkle the hollowed out eggplant with salt and turn upside down on paper towels to drain.
3. Chop the flesh you scooped out of the eggplant.
4. In a skillet, over a medium-low heat, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil. Cook the chopped eggplant with the onion and garlic for about 15 minutes, until the eggplant is soft.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the slightly cooked rice, herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and Ricotta cheese.
6. Rinse the eggplant shells and pat dry.
7. Lightly oil a baking dish with olive oil.
8. Fill the eggplant shells with the stuffing, don’t over fill or pack the stuffing down.
9. Set the shells in the baking dish.
10. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
11. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the eggplant.
12. Add an inch of hot water to the baking dish.
13. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F. The tops should be golden brown.
14. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.