Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh from each eggplant, leaving about 1/2 inch border on the sides and the bottom. You can score the border with a pairing knife and then using an ice cream scoop, a cookie scoop, or a spoon, scoop up the flesh a bit at a time.
Season the eggplant shells with a pinch of salt and black pepper and brush them with olive oil. Add them to a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven just above the center rack to roast until tender (about 25 minutes). While the eggplant shells roast, make the filling.
Chop up the eggplant flesh into smaller pieces.
Add the ground beef to a large pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink (about 4 minutes).
Add the chopped eggplant flesh and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until the eggplant has released all the water, the liquid has evaporated, and you have some golden-brown in the mixture (about 8 minutes).
Add the minced garlic and the Italian dried herb seasoning, and stir the mixture to cook the garlic (about 1 minute).
Add the canned chopped tomatoes and 1/3 cup of water to the pan and simmer the filling, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened (about 8 minutes). Adjust the heat as necessary to keep it at a low simmer (rather than a boil).
Add the ricotta to the filling and stir. Take the pan off the heat. Taste and add any additional salt or pepper (if needed).
By now, the eggplant shells should be tender. Remove them from the oven, and add the filling to the shells. Top with parmesan (optionally leaving a bit aside to garnish the eggplant with fresh parmesan at the end).
Return the filled eggplant shells to the oven and bake them for about 20 minutes until the parmesan is golden in spots.
Serve the stuffed eggplants with finely chopped fresh basil and (optionally) the leftover freshly grated parmesan.
