Aubergine And Tomato Crostata Italian Rustic Pie Recipes

RUSTIC APPLE PIE CROSTATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the apples with 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, the cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon. In another small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar, the oats, butter, flour and salt.
• Place the piecrust on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the apple mixture in the middle of the pie, leaving about a 1-inch border. Fold the crust edges over the filling, pleating occasionally. Spoon the oat mixture over the apples. Brush the crust with the egg and sprinkle with the raw sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add about one-third of the butter; process until the butter is combined. Pulse in the remaining butter in 5 or 6 pulses to form coarse crumbs. Add the vinegar; pulse quickly a few times while adding 1/3 cup ice water. Squeeze some dough between your fingers. It should just hold its shape; if it's still crumbly, quickly pulse in more ice water by the tablespoonful. (Do not overwork the dough.)
• Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough, then press and flatten into a thin round. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough into an 11-to-12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Center over a 9-inch pie plate. Fold in the edges and crimp as desired. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using.

RUSTIC TOMATO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate. , Place half of the tomatoes and half of the onions in crust. Combine mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, basil, salt and pepper; spread over tomatoes. Top with remaining onions and tomatoes. Fold crust edge over filling, pleating as you go and leaving an 8-in. opening in the center. Sprinkle with bacon and Parmesan cheese. Bake on a lower oven rack until until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PIE

Steps:

• Line a lightly oiled 9- or 10-inch tart pan with the dough. Using a fork, pierce at regular intervals to allow for even baking. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to prebake and fill.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the eggplant about 1/3 inch thick and toss with salt to taste and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Line 1 to 2 baking sheets (as needed) with foil and brush the foil with olive oil. Lay the eggplant slices on the foil in 1 layer. Roast in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the slices are soft when pierced with a knife and browned in spots. Remove from the oven and carefully fold the foil up over the eggplant slices (be careful not to burn yourself!). Crimp the edges of the foil and allow the eggplant to steam for another 15 to 20 minutes. It should now be completely cooked. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
• Beat together the eggs in a medium bowl. Set the tart pan on a baking sheet to allow for easy handling. Using a pastry brush lightly brush the bottom of the crust with the beaten egg and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Whisk the milk into the eggs. Add salt (I usually use about 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the crust. Top with a layer of eggplant slices. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon one third of the remaining sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with thyme, Parmesan, and half of the Gruyère. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the size of your eggplant slices, ending with the Gruyère. Pour on the egg and milk mixture. It should seep down into the layers; if it looks like it's not moving and going to overflow the crust, use a fork to create some holes so it does seep down. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top and sprinkle any remaining thyme over the tomatoes. Drizzle on 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until set and bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

AUBERGINE, TOMATO & PARMESAN BAKE (MELANZANE ALLA PARMIGIANA)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a shallow pan, mix together the garlic and 4 tbsp of the olive oil. Cook over a high heat for 3 mins, tip in the tomatoes, then simmer for 8 mins, stirring every now and then. Stir in the tomato purée.
• Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until very hot. Brush a few of the aubergines with a little oil, then add to the pan. Cook over a high heat until well browned and cooked through, about 5-7 mins. Turn them halfway through cooking. Lift onto kitchen paper and do the next batch.
• When all the aubergines are cooked, lay a few of them in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then spoon over some sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil leaves. Add seasoning, then repeat this process with the remaining ingredients. Finally, pour the egg over the top, sprinkle over a little more Parmesan, then bake for 20 mins or until the topping is golden.

AUBERGINE, TOMATO & HALLOUMI PIE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in your largest frying pan. Cook the aubergine slices for about 5 mins on each side until golden brown and soft - you'll need to add more oil between batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Fry the onion in the remaining oil until soft, about 8 mins. Add the garlic and cook for another min or 2. Stir in the coriander, chopped tomatoes, molasses and some seasoning. Simmer for 15 mins until you have a thick, rich sauce. Stir in the mint leaves.
• Heat a drizzle more oil in a pan and fry the halloumi slices for 2 mins on each side until golden brown. Set aside with the aubergine. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Roll out the pastry to a rectangle, 50 x 25cm, and cut into two squares (don't worry about all the edges being neat at this stage). Place one on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Layer the tomato sauce, aubergine, halloumi and a scattering of pine nuts (in that order) onto the middle of the pastry, leaving a border around the edge, about 1.5cm. Keep layering until the ingredients have all been used up. Brush the edges with a little egg.
• Roll the second sheet a little larger, then lift over the pie and press down the edges to seal. Neaten the edges with a knife, then brush the whole pie with more egg. Score fine lines over the top with your knife to decorate, making sure you don't pierce the pastry. Cut a small cross in the centre of the pie and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden brown.

AUBERGINE AND TOMATO CROSTATA ( ITALIAN RUSTIC PIE)

Steps:

• In a processor make a dough with the flour, oregano, salt, olive oil and enough water to make a dough ball.
• Rest in plastic wrap but don't refrigerate.
• cook the sliced aubergines with the 2 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp olive oil.
• Drain the auberines and place half of them in a blender with the ricotta, yogurt, eggs, parmesan and seasoning.
• Grease and Line a 26cm pie dish with baking paper. roll out the pastry and line the pie dish.Place another greaseproof paper on top and cover in baking beans.
• Bake in a 200C for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and fill with the aubergine cream.
• Place circles o the rest of the aubergine, sliced onions and tomatoes decoratively on the surface.
• Mix 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water and using a pastry brush, brush the aubergines and tomatoes. season and sprinkle on some more oregano.
• Bake for a further 30 minutes.

TOMATO & GOAT CHEESE CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the diced butter and toss carefully with your fingers to coat each piece of butter with flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. While pulsing, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Pulse to combine, stopping just before the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Heat the 4 tablespoons butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the leeks, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and sauté for 8 minutes, until the leeks are tender and starting to brown. Set aside. Place the tomatoes on a plate, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Set aside.
• On a floured board, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, then place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn a sheet pan upside down and transfer the paper to the inverted pan. Spread the leeks on the pastry, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Crumble the goat cheese evenly on top. Arrange the tomatoes over the goat cheese, overlapping the slices because they will shrink. Turn the edges of the pastry up and over the tomatoes, crimping so they lie flat. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, sprinkle lightly with the fresh herbs and salt, cut in wedges and serve warm.