Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook (32 page)

For decades, my family has made eggplant Parmigiana the same way that our ancestors made it—with breaded and fried rounds. As good as it is, we don’t always have the time for frying, and a lighter more temporary version seemed in order, too. Here’s the delicious result, made with roasted eggplant.

2 medium eggplants (about 1¼ pounds each), peeled and cut into ⅓-inch rounds

Olive oil, for brushing

3 cups
Tomato Sauce
, heated

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ½-inch dice

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.
Position the oven racks in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil two large rimmed baking sheets.

2.
Spread the eggplant rounds on baking sheets, overlapping if needed. Roast until the eggplant is tender, about 20 minutes.

3.
Spread ½ cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch flameproof baking pan. Place half the eggplant slices in the pan, and top with half the remaining sauce, half the mozzarella, and half the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover with the remaining eggplant and top with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano. Spoon about ¼ cup water around the inside edges of the baking pan.

4.
Bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Position a broiler rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler on high. Broil the eggplant Parmigiana until the cheese is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Caramelized Fennel

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Portobello mushrooms are the steaks of the edible fungi world, with a meaty texture and earthy flavor. Serve these as a side dish for roast pork, or even as a lunch or supper main course with crusty bread.

4 large portobello mushroom caps

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing the mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb cored and cut crosswise into thin half-moons

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

½ cup
Chicken Stock
, or reduced-sodium store-bought chicken broth or vegetable stock

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet.

2.
Place the mushroom caps on the baking sheet and brush with oil. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn them over and continue roasting until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3.
Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the stock and basil and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.
Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and cut on a slight diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a serving platter. Pour the fennel sauce over the mushroom slices and serve hot.

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Many of our family meals have stuffed peppers on the menu. When meat is the main course, we’ll serve these lighter, eggplant-filled peppers, which can be served hot or at room temperature. My wife Lisa loves them, perhaps because they are from her Sicilian heritage.

STUFFING

1 pound eggplant

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

¼ cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives

2 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers, rinsed

1 anchovy fillet in oil, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Pinch of sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large red bell peppers

½ cup plain dry bread crumbs

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet.

2.
To make the stuffing: Cut the eggplant into ½-inch cubes. Toss the eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the oil on the baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.

3.
Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup of the oil and the garlic together in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, olives, capers, and anchovy and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the eggplant, basil, and sugar and cook to blend the flavors, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

4.
Lightly oil a large flameproof baking dish. Cut each pepper in half vertically and remove the cores. Fill each red bell pepper half with the eggplant mixture and place in the dish, stuffing side up. Pour about ⅓ cup water around the pepper halves. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5.
Position a broiler rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat on high. Mix the bread crumbs and grated cheese together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the peppers. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablepsoons oil. Broil until the crumb topping has browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot from the baking dish.