Stuffed Eggplant with Cheese and Tomato Sauce

This dish takes me back to Greece. My grandma and I often go to a cute little vegetarian restaurant in the middle of Athens and they have a similar dish there. I tried to recreate it and it turned out delightful! It is a great side dish and it can be eaten on its own as well.

Stuffed Eggplant with Cheese and Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For The Eggplant:

2 medium eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch-thick slices
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
toothpicks (to hold together the eggplant)

For The Sauce:

1 jar tomato sauce (I like to use Rao’s)
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated feta cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese mix
1/2 tsp chili flakes
sea salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1. Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat.
STEP 2. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and season with seasonings on each side.
STEP 3. Arrange eggplant in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until tender.
STEP 4. In a bowl, mix together the tomato, garlic, parsley and spices.
STEP 5. Preheat oven to 400 F.
STEP 6. In a baking dish, lay the eggplant flat and scoop a tablespoon from the tomato sauce.

STEP 7. Lightly sprinkle with cheese on top. Start rolling the eggplant from one side until the other end and stick a toothpick in it to hold it in place. Repeat this step until the end.