Eggplant Lasagne With Parsley Pesto Food

BROKEN LASAGNA WITH PARSLEY PESTO, LETTUCE AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Puree the olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the gruyere, olives and toasted walnuts; pulse until coarsely chopped, about 1 minute. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl.
• Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl with the pesto.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, adding the lettuce during the last 1 minute. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and lettuce and transfer to the bowl with the pesto. Toss to coat, adding enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce.

EGGPLANT LASAGNE WITH PARSLEY PESTO

Steps:

• Make béchamel:
• Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 4 cups, about 10 minutes. Whisk in salt and white pepper, then remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Cover surface of sauce with wax paper until ready to use.
• Make pesto and ricotta mixture:
• Coarsely chop 1/3 cup hazelnuts and reserve for sprinkling over lasagne.
• Purée parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2/3 cup oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining cup hazelnuts in a food processor until pesto is smooth, about 1 minute.
• Whisk egg in a bowl, then stir in ricotta, 1 cup parsley pesto, remaining teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper until combined well.
• Stir together 1/4 cup pesto and remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small bowl for drizzling over lasagne.
• Roast eggplant for lasagne:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Oil 2 large baking sheets.
• Brush eggplant with oil on both sides, then arrange in 1 layer on baking sheets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake eggplant, switching position of sheets halfway through baking and turning slices over once, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes total.
• Assemble lasagne:
• Put oven rack in middle position and reduce oven temperature to 425°F. Lightly oil a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (3 quart) and line a larger shallow baking pan with foil.
• Spread 1 cup béchamel in baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets. Drop 1 cup ricotta mixture by spoonfuls over pasta, spreading evenly (layer will be thin), then top with 1 layer of eggplant, cutting rounds to fit if necessary. Make 1 more layer each of béchamel, pasta, ricotta, and eggplant. Spread with 1 cup béchamel and cover with remaining 3 pasta sheets. Spread remaining cup ricotta mixture over pasta, then spread ricotta with remaining cup béchamel and top with remaining eggplant in 1 layer (you may have a few slices left over). Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over eggplant and scatter with reserved chopped hazelnuts.
• Tightly cover baking dish with oiled foil (oiled side down), then set dish in foil-lined pan (to catch drips) and bake lasagne 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
• Serve lasagne drizzled with pesto.

ITALIAN GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH BASIL AND PARSLEY (MELANZANE GRIGLIATE AL BASILICO E PREZZEMOLO)

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides. Stir together remaining olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
• Arrange eggplant slices on the preheated grill and cook, turning occasionally, until tender and browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Arrange grilled eggplant on a platter. Brush with the olive oil and garlic mixture until eggplant has absorbed the oil. Sprinkle with the chopped basil and parsley and serve.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH PESTO, PARMESAN, AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Salt the eggplant slices and lay on a paper towel for 20 minutes to extract any bitter flavors.
• Pat the slices dry.
• Grill the slices (I use a dry grill pan on the stove top but you could also broil) until soft but not all the way done.
• Heat a skillet and add 2 TBS olive oil, Saute onion, garlic, and bellpepper until soft.
• Salt and pepper liberally.
• Stir in the wine and chicken broth and reduce to about 1/2 Cup.
• Stir in pesto and tomato paste and remove from the heat.
• In a casserole dish sprinkle the remaining 1 TBS olive oil and lay one layer of eggplant slices on top.
• Spread 1/3 of the sauce on the eggplant and top with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.
• Top with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until cheese is browning and bubbly and eggplant slices are soft.

EGGPLANT PARM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season eggplant slices with salt, then place in a colander set over a plate. Set aside.
• Combine panko, Italian seasoning, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine until finely ground, then transfer crumbs to a shallow dish or bowl. Place eggs and flour in separate shallow dishes or bowls.
• To prepare eggplant, dredge each slice on both sides in the flour, then eggs, then the panko parmesan mixture and place on the cooling rack. Heat 3/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the eggplant until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Add additional olive oil if needed during frying. Drain fried eggplant on a towel-lined plate.
• In a large bowl, stir to combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
• To assemble lasagna, spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of the pan, spreading to coat. Top with 4 lasagna noodles, then 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, a layer of eggplant, 1 cup marinara sauce and 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Repeat layering twice more and top last layer of lasagna noodles with sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 10 minutes.
• Let sit 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Top with sliced basil.