Eggplant Papoutsakia | Greek-Style Stuffed Eggplant Topped with Bechamel

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the tips off the eggplants and slice them in half lengthwise.

Score the inside of the eggplants carefully without cutting through the skin.

Use a spoon to hollow out the eggplants, placing the pulp into a food processor.

Drizzle the eggplant halves with Greek extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked black pepper.

Bake the hollowed eggplants in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

In the food processor, add garlic cloves, parsley, quartered onion, salt, and black pepper to the eggplant pulp and puree until combined.

In a pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of Greek extra-virgin olive oil and add ground pork sausage meat, browning it.

Add the pureed vegetable mixture to the browned sausage and stir to combine.

Stir in 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste and let it melt down.

Add 14 ounces of crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of water to the mixture, stirring to combine.

Season with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a broken bay leaf.

Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes to thicken and marry the flavors.

Remove the baked eggplants from the oven and fill them with the meat sauce mixture.

Prepare the bechamel sauce by melting 1/2 stick of salted butter in a saucepan.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens