Stuffed Eggplant With Veal And Spinach Food

SPINACH-RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt. (You should have about 4 heaping cups of sauce.)
• Make the stuffed shells: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs for baking, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread out on a baking sheet.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then finely chop.
• Put the spinach in a large bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest, beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, spread about half of the sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Evenly fill the shells with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon, or pipe it in using a pastry bag. Arrange the shells side by side, open-side up, in the baking dish on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through and the sauce is simmering around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until any shells or cheese poking through the sauce are lightly browned in spots, about 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

CANNELLONI OR STUFFED SHELLS WITH VEAL AND SWEET SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage and crumble to very small pieces. Then add the veal, brown and crumble. Add the sage, garlic, onions and some salt and pepper, and cook until tender. Separate the spinach with your fingertips and add to the skillet. Stir to heat through, then deglaze with the wine and remove from the heat.
• In a saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter, whisk in the flour and bring to a bubble. Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Thicken the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Taste to adjust the seasoning and remove a ladle of sauce to combine with the egg yolks to temper them. Add the egg yolks to the sauce and stir in half of the fontina cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Reduce the heat to low, or cover to keep warm.
• Salt the water, and cook the pasta to a chewy al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Then drain and cool. Fill the tubes or shells with the meat filling using small spoon. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with one-quarter of the sauce, then arrange the shells and cover with the remaining sauce, then top with the remaining cheese. Refrigerate or freeze for a make-ahead meal.
• Bake from room temperature at 375 degrees F until brown and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.

QUICK FAKE-OUT "STUFFED" EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Halve 4 eggplants lengthwise. Pour about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season the cut eggplant with salt and pepper, to taste, and arrange, cut side down, in the oil. Put in the oven and roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Peel the remaining eggplant and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Stir in the beef or lamb, the tomato paste, onions, garlic, diced eggplant and raisins. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the wine or stock, and cook until the eggplant and onions are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pine nuts and basil.
• While the meat cooks, melt the butter in small skillet over medium heat, add the bread crumbs and toast until golden. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
• Stir the parsley and cheese into the bread crumbs and add half of this mixture to the meat.
• Remove the eggplant from the oven, flip it over and transfer to a serving platter. Top each halved eggplant with a mound of stuffing and sprinkle the remaining cheesy bread crumbs over the top before serving.

VEAL ROLLS STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND GRUYèRE

Steps:

• Mash anchovy paste into 4 tablespoons butter in a bowl until combined. Gently pound cutlets to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin. Pat cutlets dry and season lightly with salt and pepper, then spread 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy butter over top of each cutlet. (You will have a little butter left over.) Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over anchovy butter, leaving a 1/4-inch border, then arrange spinach leaves, overlapping in 1 layer, to cover cutlets. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, arrange with a short side nearest you and roll up tightly, then secure with a wooden pick.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Pat rolls dry. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch ovenproof heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté veal, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer skillet to oven and bake veal until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer veal with tongs to a platter (reserve skillet) and keep warm, covered.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then add wine and deglaze skillet by boiling (on stovetop) over high heat, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then add any juices accumulated on platter and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter (not remaining anchovy butter). Cook over low heat until incorporated. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

LIDIA'S VEAL AND EGGPLANT GRATINATE (FOR ONE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If using eggplant, cut off ends and slice off two long strips of skin, one on each side. With 1 skin side up, so that each slice will have skin on both sides, slice eggplant lengthwise, 1/4inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dredge lightly in flour. If using zucchini, slice on diagonal, 1/4 inch thick.
• In a 6- to 8-inch ovenproof skillet (see Note), heat 1 tablespoon oil. Brown vegetable slices lightly on both sides, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan. Add more oil as needed to keep pan lightly oiled. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Sprinkle veal or chicken with salt and pepper, and dredge lightly in flour. Melt butter in same pan until it bubbles, then brown meat lightly on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add shallot to pan and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in wine and simmer until syrupy.
• Turn off heat and place pieces of meat in skillet. Lay basil leaves or parsley over them, then arrange vegetable slices on top. Spoon tomato sauce over, sprinkle cheese on top, and pour about 2 tablespoons water (more or less, depending on thickness of tomato sauce) around edges of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until meat is cooked through and liquid in bottom of pan is thickened. Sprinkle with torn basil or chopped parsley; serve with crusty bread.

EMERIL LAGASSE SUPER STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pasta shells, and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally with a long-handled spoon to prevent the shells from sticking together.
• Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain.
• While pasta is cooking, prepare the following:.
• In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until very soft, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Add the ground veal and cook, stirring, until cooked and browned.
• Add the squeezed spinach and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
• Add the spinach mixture, the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp Essence, remaining teaspoon of salt, the basil, oregano, and pepper, and stir to combine thoroughly.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the spinach-ricotta filling into each cooked pasta shell.
• Place the filled shells in the prepared dish.
• If using ground beef, brown in fry pan, drain and add to pasta sauce of your choice.
• Pour the Basic Red Sauce over the filled shells and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.