Farro Filled Eggplant
- 1 Eggplant
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned
- 1 cup uncooked farro
- 3 cups vegetable stock (may need to add more)
- 5 oz fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- pinch of salt
- Optional freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 375
- If your sundried tomatoes are not packed in oil, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain once soaked.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute shallots for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes more.
- Add farro to the pan and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the farro to get toasty.
- Add sundried tomatoes and vegetable stock to the pan. Stir well, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let the farro cook for about 40-45 minutes. You may need to add more stock to allow the farro to get tender.
- While farro is cooking, cut eggplant lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of the eggplant leaving about a 1/4. Chop the eggplant that you removed.
- Once farro is tender, add spinach, basil, and eggplant. Stir well. Allow basil and spinach to wilt and remove from heat. Add salt to taste. Note: adding eggplant at this point will allow it to cook in the oven without getting mushy.
- Spoon mixture into the eggplant "shells." Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- If using cheese, sprinkle on top of eggplant and allow it to melt a few minutes before removing from the oven