Eggplant Caramelle With Gorgonzola Fonduta Recipes

CAVATELLI WITH GORGONZOLA AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatelli and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water, then drain well.
• Meanwhile, add the pancetta and olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the pancetta is crispy, about 8 minutes. Add the shallots and cook another minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the cavatelli to the skillet along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Scatter the Gorgonzola over the pasta and stir to combine. Continue to stir, adding pasta water as needed, until a light creamy sauce is formed. Add the spinach and toss to combine. Cook for another minute, until the spinach is just barely wilted. Serve hot.

EGGPLANT CARAMELLE WITH GORGONZOLA FONDUTA

Steps:

• Eggplant Filling:.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the eggplant generously with salt and let sit 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander, pressing to remove any excess moisture, and then toss in some olive oil and black pepper. Roast on a sheet pan until completely tender, and then transfer to a food processor. Reduce the oven to 300 degrees F. Puree the eggplant and then spread it onto the sheet pans before returning it to the oven to dry out. The eggplant should deepen in color and become fairly stiff.
• Meanwhile, cook the garlic and onions in a heavy-bottomed pan until deeply caramelized. Stir in the eggplant puree and cook, 10 minutes. Spread the eggplant mixture out onto a sheet pan to cool, and then combine with the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and some parsley in a large bowl. Season with lemon juice, zest, nutmeg, salt and black pepper.
• For assembling:
• Roll out the pasta dough into very thin sheets, and then cut into 3-by-2-inch rectangles. Transfer the eggplant mixture to a piping bag and pipe the filling down the center of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch margin on either side. Wet your finger and barely dampen the top edge of the rectangle. Roll up each caramelle, starting from the bottom, until you have a tube. Gently pinch the ends on either side of the filling and twist. (You are aiming for a "Tootsie Roll" look.) Cook in boiling salted water until the pasta feels tender at the twist and the center is cooked but still with tooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Warm the Gorgonzola Fonduta over low heat until smooth, adding a touch of cream if needed. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon down the center of warmed plates, lining up the caramelle on top. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.
• Gorgonzola Fonduta:.
• Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until light in color. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed pot, and then slowly whisk into the egg yolks, to temper. Pour the cream and eggs back into the pot and cook over low heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
• Whisk in the cheese a few pieces at a time until incorporated and melted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and cayenne pepper.

GRILLED EGGPLANT PANINI WITH CAMBOZOLA BLUE CHEESE, PROSCIUTTO AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Heat grill pan to medium-high.
• Heat the olive oil in small pot over medium heat with garlic and rosemary to infuse flavor, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Brush eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side to tenderize. Remove from heat.
• Make sandwiches on split flat breads of 2 slices each eggplant, blue cheese, prosciutto and a handful of arugula.
• Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Choose a second skillet that can fit down inside the first and get a few heavy cans ready to weight skillets. When pan is hot, add 1 flat bread, weight down with second skillet and cans and cook 1 minute, flip, cook a minute more. Repeat process with remaining ingredients and serve.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH EGGPLANT AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange mushrooms, rounded side down, on large baking sheet. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Sauté until eggplant is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in red wine and simmer until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in Gorgonzola cheese and 1 tablespoon basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture evenly into mushroom caps. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover mushrooms with aluminum foil. Bake mushrooms for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese melts, filling bubbles and mushrooms are tender when pierced with sharp knife, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve warm.

OPEN-FACED EGGPLANT AND GORGONZOLA GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplants in a colander set over a bowl; toss with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse well, and let drain. Press to remove excess liquid.
• Arrange eggplants in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup oil; season with pepper. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat broiler. Melt butter with remaining tablespoon oil. Brush over cut sides of bread. Broil until top edges are just golden. Arrange eggplant in a single layer over bread. Top with cheese. Place on baking sheet; broil until cheese has melted and is bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.

MASCARPONE POLENTA FRIES WITH GORGONZOLA FONDUTA

Steps:

• MAKE THE FRIES:.
• Bring the stock,water, salt, pepper, and bay leaves to a boil.
• Remove bay leaves and gradually whisk in polenta, stirring with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes.
• Stir in mascarpone.
• Line 1/2 of sheet pan with plastic wrap.
• Pour polenta into the pan and flatten evenly until smooth.
• Cover with plastic.
• Put in refrigerator for an hour, and then cut into 3 inch by 1-inch fries.
• When ready to fry, dust the fries with semolina flour and fry in canola oil at 375ºF for 2 minutes.
• MAKE THE FONDUTA:.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan.
• Add shallots and sweat for 5 minutes, then add vinegar.
• Cook until vinegar is almost gone.
• Add heavy cream and reduce by half.
• Whisk in Gorgonzola and add water if consistency is too thick.
• Pass through chinois or fine sieve and pour over hot fries.
• Enjoy!

EGGPLANT SANDWICHES WITH GORGONZOLA CHEESE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• If desired, trim off and discard the skin of each eggplant round. Place each round on a flat surface and hold a knife parallel to the surface. Cut each round in half, splitting each sandwichlike almost but not through to the end. Leave a small hinge at one end of each round. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
• Drop the spinach into a small quantity of boiling water. Stir and let return to the boil. Drain quickly and run under cold water. Drain thoroughly, pressing to extract excess moisture. Chop the spinach.
• Fill each sandwich with a thin slice of cheese and top each piece of cheese with a portion of the chopped spinach. Close each sandwich.
• Dip each sandwich in flour and shake off excess. Beat the egg with the water and dredge each sandwich, bottom and sides, in the mixture. Dredge each sandwich, bottom and sides, in bread crumbs to coat thoroughly. Shake off excess.
• Fill a heavy skillet with oil to a depth of about half an inch. Heat until the temperature on a fat thermometer is about 375 degrees. Add the sandwiches in one layer and let cook, turning occasionally, about three minutes or until each round is golden brown and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper towels. Serve, if desired, with tomato sauce or garlic, oil and anchovy sauce.