• Spray a deep 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

SAUCE

• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened and light golden. Add the garlic and stir to cook briefly. Add the garlic and stir to cook briefly.
• Add the wine, bring to a boil, and reduce by half.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• Add the parsley, salt, and black pepper to taste. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

EGGPLANT

• Cut the eggplant in half from top to bottom. Make a shallow cut all the way around, leaving a 1/2-inch border to form a sturdy shell.
• Then, score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, stopping where you scored it 1/2 inch from the skin. Scoop the flesh out with a soup or other spoon to form a shell. Chop the eggplant flesh and set aside for the filling.
• Brush the inside of the eggplant shell with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place it cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until you can pierce it with a paring knife. (You don't want to bake it to the point of collapsing.)

MEAT FILLING

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Brown the meat, crumbling it as you go, to break it up and cook it entirely until it's no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease. Add the spices and stir. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in the skillet you used to brown the beef. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it begins to soften.
• Add the red bell pepper and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the onion and bell pepper are soft.
• Add the chopped eggplant. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until it softens. Add the garlic and stir. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
• Add the rice, parsley, and 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce. Mix well, then taste and adjust for seasoning before adding the egg. Stir in the egg.

TO FINISH

• Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.
• Fill each eggplant half evenly with the meat and rice filling and place it in the baking dish over the tomato sauce.
• Top each filled eggplant half with an even amount of the remaining tomato sauce.
• Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot, and the filling reaches 165 degrees in the center of each eggplant. Serve immediately.