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1
Slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, rinse under cool water and set aside.
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2
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
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3
Add the onions, celery and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
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4
Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, until the beef is brown and all pink has disappeared.
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5
Add the eggplant, season with salt and cayenne, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the eggplant with a fork as it cooks.
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6
The eggplant should be quite soft.
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7
If the mixture becomes dry, add a little water from time to time to keep it moist.
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8
Remove from the heat, then add enough bread crumbs to bind the mixture slightly.
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9
Cool the mixture for about 10 minutes.
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10
Fill the bell pepper halves with equal portions of the mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
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11
Place the filled peppers in the bottom of a shallow baking pan and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
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12
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
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13
If you like the peppers to be a little softer, blanch the bell peppers (before filling) in boiling water for about 30 seconds, just enough to soften them up.
