Berenjenas rellenas de boloñesa

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner while ground pork is often less expensive.

cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is often cheaper.

red wine

🥗Healthier: grape juice

💰Cheaper: white wine

Grape juice adds sweetness without alcohol, while white wine can be a more affordable option.

Wash the eggplants under running water and cut them in half.

Make cuts in the flesh of the eggplants without cutting through the skin, creating a diamond pattern.

Drizzle olive oil on the eggplants and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

In a low saucepan, heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and lightly brown 1 chopped garlic clove.

Add 1/2 chopped green bell pepper, 1 chopped carrot, and 1 chopped onion, season with salt, and sauté for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.

Season 500 g of ground pork (or beef, chicken, or turkey) with salt and pepper, and add it to the sautéed vegetables, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks.

Once the meat changes color, pour in 75 ml of red wine and let it reduce for 5 minutes over high heat.

Add 200 ml of chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, and 1 tsp of dried oregano to the mixture.

Pour in 200 g of quality tomato sauce and mix everything together, cooking on high for 10 minutes until the liquid evaporates, aiming for a sauce that is not too liquid or too dry.

In a separate saucepan, melt 80 g of butter, then add 80 g of all-purpose flour and mix, cooking the flour for about 5 minutes.

Gradually add 600 ml of room temperature milk while stirring continuously, seasoning with salt, nutmeg, and black pepper to taste, then set aside the béchamel sauce.

Once the eggplants are baked, carefully scoop out the flesh without breaking the skin and add it to the bolognese mixture, cooking for another 5 minutes to integrate the flavors.

Add a ladle of béchamel sauce to the bolognese to make it creamier and mix well.

Generously fill the eggplant halves with the bolognese mixture; you will have enough to fill 8 halves (4 eggplants).

Cover each half with béchamel sauce, ensuring it remains thick to separate it from the meat filling.

Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top, then gratin in the oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown to your liking.

Plate the dish and garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens