Eggplant, Prosciutto & Cheese "Sandwiches"

Not long ago, I told you about my sister's mother-in-law and her delicious pitacella.  Nina's food was always truly amazing.  Every Christmas, she'd surprise her large crowd of guests with a different main course...goat, rabbit, quail...no matter what, you knew it was going to be special.  And don't even get me started with her lasagna.

There were many dishes of hers, however, that I wasn't fortunate enough to try while she was still with us.  I noticed a picture of one after my sister's recent trip to Italy.  She was on her biennial trip with her husband, daughters, father-in-law, and brother-in-law Tony, visiting Nina's family.  Whenever they go, they're brought back to Nina's home cooking, courtesy of her sisters and cousins.

The picture that Tony posted immediately made my mouth water.  I asked him to describe what it was, and knew right away that I needed to make it ASAP.  His cousin made it while he was in Italy, but it was a dish that he said Nina made often.  He had an idea of how she prepared it but wasn't exactly sure, so I did my best to replicate it.

Well, as expected, it was delicious!  After all, what could be bad about mozzarella and prosciutto sandwiched between juicy fried eggplant?  Especially when the king of all cheeses is involved - Parmigiano Reggiano.

I can only hope that Nina would be proud of my interpretation :)


Eggplant, Prosciutto & Cheese "Sandwiches"
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
3 eggs
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper
3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, divided
12 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 log mozzarella cheese, sliced
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Crack eggs into a bowl and beat with a bit of water.  Place bread crumbs on a flat plate, add a bit of Parmigiano Reggiano, and mix.  Dip eggplant slices in egg, one at a time, letting excess egg drip off before coating both sides with bread crumbs.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add eggplant and brown on both sides, sprinkling with a bit of salt and pepper.  Remove and place on paper towel lined plate.  Repeat process until all eggplant is cooked.

Lightly oil a baking pan.  Place eggplant on bottom.  Top each slice with a few slices of prosciutto, then mozzarella.  Top with eggplant and sprinkle Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Top with more Parmigiano Reggiano, if desired.  Serve.

Makes around a dozen "sandwiches".

Pasta with Peas & Eggplant

I'm sure I'm not the only one who cooks with ingredients that their spouse doesn't like when they're not home for dinner.  Right?  Raise your hand, friends...nice and high...I know you're out there.

One of the items on Frank's black list is peas.  Such a shame, because I really like them.  Not only are they tasty, they also add such nice color to dishes.  Once in a blue moon, I'll have no choice but to add them to a dish I'm making, mainly for aesthetic reasons, and force him to pick them out.  Bad wifey.

Anyway, I used them (a LOT of them!) in a pasta dish for myself while he was working late.  I also threw in a Japanese eggplant that Bella picked out while we were at the local market, because her favorite color is purple.  Naturally.

I also used a healthy amount of crushed red pepper in the oil, which I normally don't do when Mr. I Hate Spicy Food Frank is home.  When it's just me, I say bring it on...

This super quick dish is perfect for busy nights, and also for wives of pea haters :)

Pasta with Peas & Eggplant
1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, chopped
crushed red pepper
1 Japanese eggplant, cut into small cubes (can sub regular eggplant)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
salt and pepper to taste
grated pecorino romano cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, heat oil, then add garlic and crushed red pepper.  Add eggplant, salt and pepper, and cook until slightly brown, followed by peas.  Lower heat and stir to combine.

Drain pasta and add to veggies.  Add cheese, toss and serve.

Talk to me

I'm curious - do you enjoy my simple pasta dish recipes?  Do you find them useful?  I ask because there are so many of them that I haven't blogged, just because I'm not sure if they'd be appreciated.  A very common question when looking for dinner ideas is "I need something quick and easy", so I'm thinking that they must be helping some people out there.  Speak up now...

I personally find quick and easy recipes very useful, as well as those that use common pantry ingredients.  Lots of people out there lead very busy lives and rely on these types of meals pretty often.  I hope those people are reading my blog :)

This is another one, again, using what I usually have on hand, plus a few fresh ingredients I happened to have that day.  The vegetables can easily be substituted with others like artichoke hearts (canned or frozen), zucchini, fresh tomatoes, spinach (fresh or frozen), broccoli rabe, mushrooms...pretty much anything goes.

As for the cheese, use the fresh stuff.  Fresh mozzarella makes a huge difference as far as taste and texture.  It melts really nicely and is just so delicious.

Is there a favorite quick and easy pasta dish in your house?  If so, please share it!

Autumn Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella
1 pound pasta (whatever kind/shape you like)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 eggplant, diced (I didn't peel it)
1 broccoli crown, roughly chopped
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil then add garlic and crushed red pepper.  Be careful not to burn it.

Add eggplant and broccoli.  Saute until they begin to soften.  Lower heat to medium, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, and  let cook for about 10 minutes.

Drain pasta and throw into pan.  Toss everything until combined, turn off heat and add mozzarella.  Stir gently so cheese is evenly coated and distributed.  Serve immediately.

A "meaty" stew

There are very few ways I can get away with a meatless meal in this house if it doesn't involve pasta.  I have to tread carefully when I try new dishes of this nature.  This one, fortunately, got Frank's approval...even after I got the "hmmph" over the phone when he asked what was for dinner.  

I had an eggplant I needed to use, along with leftover tomato paste in the fridge and a little bit of marinara sauce.  I threw this together and it hit the table 30 minutes later.  Quick, delicious and satisfying!  Oh yeah, and healthy :)

When will he realize I'll never let him down? 

What's your favorite meatless meal?  Try this soon - it may just end up at the top of your list.

Eggplant Stew with Polenta
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 eggplant, cubed
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup red wine
polenta (see this link for different ways to cook it)

In a medium size pot over medium-high heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil, then add onion and garlic.  Saute for about 1-2 minutes, then add eggplant.  Stir and add remaining oil, plus salt and pepper, basil and parsley.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, marinara and wine.  Cover, lower heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

Cook polenta and plate.  Add stew on top and serve.

Linked to: Tastetastic Thursday
                   Eggplant Blog Hop

The healthy way out

Eggplant is wonderful.  A clean slate of sorts.  And healthy, too.  Unless you decide to bread it, then fry it in a ton of oil.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it that way, I really do.  But a healthier alternative is always welcome.

This is the way I make eggplant parmigiana when I'm behaving myself.  And it still tastes pretty damn good.

Don't worry - I'll post the fattening version soon :)

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmigiana
1 large eggplant
salt
Marinara sauce
fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
fresh basil leaves, torn
grated pecorino romano cheese

Peel eggplant in lengthwise strips.  Slice thin (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) lengthwise and lightly salt. Place on wire racks (or drape over a large pot) to drain moisture, for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread a small amount of marinara on bottom of 9x9 square pan.  Add layer of eggplant, followed by sauce, then mozzarella.  Add another layer of eggplant, then sauce, then mozzarella.  Top with sauce, then add grated cheese and basil.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes, then remove cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so.

Linked to:  A Little Nosh

Cleaning out the fridge again (Lent friendly dish)

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE!***

Every once in a while I open up the door to the fridge (and freezer) and think, okay, what can I concoct today?  I get these sudden urges to throw something together that will use up what we have (I HATE wasting food!) and of course, still taste delicious.

One of my 'must have' items from Trader Joe's is their eggplant cutlets (pictured here, in the middle of the page)...it's great to have in the freezer for shortcut nights.  I took out what was left and added it to some fresh veggies for a makeshift veggie 'lasagna' (minus the pasta).

It ain't pretty, but it tasted very good.  I served pasta on the side to satisfy the carb fiend man of the house.

This dish also gets easier if you make marinara and freeze it in small batches...I always have some in the freezer.  ALWAYS.  In this case, though, I had some leftover in the fridge that I used.

It's a great idea for meatless Fridays, for those of you observing Lent.  It's also very versatile, so you too can clean out your fridge/freezer and add whatever you have on hand.

Veggie "Lasagna"
1/2 box Trader Joe's eggplant (enough to cover bottom of pan)
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in thin slices
2 large portobello mushroom caps, broken in large pieces
marinara
fresh mozzarella, broken into pieces
ricotta
pecorino romano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray.  Cover the bottom with a thin layer of marinara, then eggplant slices.

Cover eggplant with a small layer of mozzarella and a few spoons of ricotta, then more sauce.  Add mushroom chunks, then cover with more cheese and sauce...followed by zucchini, cheese, sauce.

Top the dish off with pecorino romano, place in the oven and cook for 22-25 minutes, or until brown on top.