Roasted and Stuffed Eggplant

We received some gorgeous eggplant in the CSA box last week, and I've been wanting to cook it up. I finally got around to it tonight. This recipe is a modified version of one I saw in the Canal House summer cookbook. It was super easy and quite delicious.

Roasted and Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients:
4 small skinny eggplants, sliced lengthwise
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup garlic-infused olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. With a paring knife, score the eggplant in a criss-cross pattern on the fleshy side of the veggie. Try not to pierce through to the purple skin. Place eggplant in a roasting dish.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, thyme, red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup of the garlic-infused olive oil. Combine and season with salt and pepper.

4. Using some of the rest of the olive oil, drizzle over the scored eggplant. Take the bread crumb mixture and spoon it over each halved eggplant. Press down into the flesh. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the eggplant.

5. Cook for 35-45 minutes or until roasted thoroughly and crumb mixture is browned.