Tuscan Baked Eggplant Food

TUSCAN BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Brush a heavy gratin or ovenproof dish or dishes large enough to hold the eggplant slices in 1 layer with olive oil. Place eggplant in dish. Brush top of slices with remaining oil. Broil eggplant until just starting to color, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and broil other side until eggplant is lightly colored, 3 minutes. Don't overcook. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 375° F. Pour Silver Palate Oreganata Pasta Sauce over eggplant, season with pepper, and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake until eggplant is very tender and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Optional, Cook 1 cup of Grain Berry Penne pasta until tender, place Eggplant on top of Penne and serve

ITALIAN EGGPLANT SALAD

Steps:

• Slice 1 large eggplant lengthwise into thirds; soak in water 15 minutes. Drain and toss with olive oil and salt. Grill over medium-high heat until tender, about 8 minutes per side. Chop and toss with 1 large chopped tomato, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons chopped basil and 1 teaspoon each chopped oregano and red wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Top with shaved parmesan.

ITALIAN BAKED EGGPLANT WITH PARMESAN (PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE)

Steps:

• Place a single layer of eggplant slices in a colander sitting on a plate and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover with a second layer and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Place a plate on top and add a weight to put pressure on the eggplant slices. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Rinse eggplant slices under running cold water to wash off all the salt. Pat dry on all sides with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge eggplant slices in flour on both sides and add to the hot oil, working in batches. Deep fry eggplant until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook garlic and onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, 4 basil leaves, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until sauce starts to thicken, about 20 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Discard garlic and stir in remaining 4 leaves basil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread a layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with a single layer of eggplant slices. Top with more sauce, mozzarella slices, and Parmesan cheese. Continue making layers, a total of 3 to 5, finishing with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

NO-FRY SHEET-PAN EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet and place over medium heat. When the garlic sizzles and its edges start to brown, add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped basil.
• Heat an 18-by-13-inch sheet pan in the oven for at least 10 minutes while you bread the eggplant. Line up 3 shallow dishes; fill one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour (tapping off excess), then dip in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• When all the eggplant slices are breaded, carefully remove the heated sheet pan from the oven and brush it with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the eggplant on the sheet pan in a single layer. Bake until the undersides are crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes, then flip the slices and continue baking until they are golden on the second side, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Top the baked eggplant with the tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Return the pan to the oven and bake, rotating halfway through, until the cheese melts and browns and the sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with torn basil before serving.

TUSCAN VEGETARIAN PASTA

Steps:

• Mix mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, pepper, and onion.
• Spread on baking sheet.
• Drizzle 1 T. olive oil and sprinkle liberally with seasonings.
• Bake vegetables at 450 for ten minutes.
• Boil pasta until "al dente".
• Mix with mozzarella, vegetables, and sauce and transfer to casserole.
• Drizzle remaining olive oil on top and coat top with Parmesan.
• Bake at 450 for approximately 20 minutes.