3 eggplants, about 1 pound each, peeled and diced
Salt to taste
¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons (about) for drizzling
1 large egg
5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3-4 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise with stems, seeds, and thick ribs removed
½ pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
3-4 tablespoons water

1. Sprinkle the diced eggplant with salt, place in a colander over a bowl and let stand for about 1 hour to drain off any bitter juices. Rinse and pat dry.
2. After the eggplant is drained, warm ¼ cup olive oil in a saute pan over low heat. Add the eggplant in batches and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a fork or pulse in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. (A 1-pound eggplant yields about 1½ cup pureé.) Add the egg, basil, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Arrange the peppers in a baking dish, hollow ends up. Stuff the eggplant mixture into the pepeprs, dividing it evenly. top each pepper half with a slice of mozzarella. Drizzle a little olive oil into the pan and add the water. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the peppers are tender and the chesse is melted, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.

Note: Although not traditional, the eggplant mixture could be seasoned with a few tablespoons pesto instead of chopped basil. A few tablespoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes could also be added to the filling.

To reduce the amount of oil in this dish, the whole eggplants can be baked in a 350 or 400 degree oven until tender. Let cool, then peel and remove the seeds if they are numerous. Drain the pulp in a colander for 15 minutes, then chop coarsely and proceed with recipe.

Yield: 8 servings