Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the eggplant in half the long way and scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch of eggplant inside the skin – it should still hold its shape nicely.

Roughly chop the eggplant pulp and set aside.

In a medium sauté pan, nonstick if possible, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO. Sauté the mushrooms and eggplant pulp over medium-high heat until nicely browned and cooked through (6-8 minutes). Remove from pan. Set aside to cool.

In the same pan heat another tablespoon of EVOO and sauté the onion, pepper, garlic and spices. Onion and pepper should be just cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside to cool or add to the mushroom and eggplant mixture.

In the same pan heat the last tablespoon of EVOO and cook the lamb sausage, breaking up as much as possible until it is cooked through (10-12 minutes). You don’t want large chunks of meat. Let it cool once it is cooked through.

In a large bowl, combine all of the cooked ingredients, then add the beaten egg, panko and Pecorino. Make sure it is well mixed.

Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with the mixture (as evenly divided as possible). You may have some filling left over and can use it to stuff peppers or mushrooms for a quick appetizer.

Place eggplant halves on a lined or oiled baking sheet and top with the tomatoes and sprinkle with a little panko and Pecorino.

Bake for 50-65 minutes. Eggplant shell should be cooked through, so it is soft when pierced with a knife.

Slice across the width of the eggplant in 1-1/2 to 2-inch pieces. Enjoy!

This is great with some steamed asparagus, grilled pita or middle eastern flatbread and a little tzatziki and fresh mint.