Melenzana Ali Olio Recipes

MELENZANA ALI OLIO

Steps:

• On the evening before you intend to make the dish, prepare the eggplant. Cut the ends off the eggplants, and peel. Cut the peeled eggplant into long strips about as big around as shoestring french fries. Place the strips into a large bowl, and stir in 1/2 cup of coarse salt.
• Place a sturdy dinner plate upside down in a clean sink, making sure that the drain is not blocked. Place a generous handful of the eggplant strips onto the center of the plate, and cover with another upside down dinner plate to create an eggplant sandwich. Layer more eggplant and plates until all of the eggplant is sandwiched. Cap it off with one additional plate, and press down firmly. Set a sturdy stock pot on top, and fill with enough water to create some pressure on the eggplant layers. Not so much pressure that you break your dishes though. Let this pressing process stand overnight.
• The next day, fill a large bowl with ice water. Begin dismantling your stack of plates. One layer (handful) at a time, briefly swish the eggplant around in the ice water, then squeeze dry and place into a clean bowl. If your hand starts to hurt, you are swishing too long. Once all of the eggplant is rinsed and squeezed and in the bowl, mix in the vinegar. Let rest for about 15 minutes.
• Heat a splash of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and sea salt. Cook and stir just until fragrant. You do not want to cook the garlic. Set aside to cool.
• Your eggplants should be well rested now. Give them one last sqeeze. Make it a good one, or your melenzana is going to taste like pickles. ''Don't worry, this is the last time, I promise...'' (This is to be said to the poor little melenzana - they've been through so much!)
• Place the squeezed eggplants into a large bowl, and stir in the contents of the skillet and remaining olive oil until well blended. Transfer to sterile 1 pint or 1/2 pint jars. Make sure to fill the jars to the top, and top off with any olive oil that may be left in the bowl. Wipe the rims with a clean dry cloth, and seal tightly with new lids. Refrigerate for at least a month before opening.

ANTONIA'S PASTA ALLE MELENZANA (EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup of oil and the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and eggplant and cook gently over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until tender. It may be necessary to add more oil as the eggplant soaks the oil up quickly. Towards the end of cooking time, add the whole garlic cloves and half of the basil leaves.
• In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin splits and the tomatoes are softened. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place them in a mesh colander set over a large bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid.
• When they are cool enough to handle, core the tomatoes and peel off the skin. Using clean hands, squish the tomatoes, pushing the pulp through the sieve into the bowl underneath. At first you will have a watery liquid. Add the tomato liquid to the eggplant and then continue to push the tomato pulp through the sieve, until you have only seeds and hard pulp pieces left. Finally, add the rest of the pulpy liquid to the eggplants and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sugar and continue to cook for 10 more minutes, until thickened.
• In the meantime, bring the reserved cooking liquid back to a boil, add additional salt, and cook the fettuccine according to directions on the package. Drain well.
• To serve, spoon a third of the eggplant into a bowl and set aside. Toss the pasta in the saute pan with the remaining eggplant and add the packaged mozzarella. Place the mixture in a large serving bowl and top with the reserved eggplant, the fresh mozzarella and the Parmesan. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and serve hot.

SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges-don't overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.
• Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.

MELANZANE ALLA PARMIGIANA (EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA)

Steps:

• For the red sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onions and saute until tender, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and some salt and black pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Tear the basil leaves and stir into the sauce at the end of simmering.
• For the eggplant parmigiana: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pour 2 inches of olive oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or high-sided skillet and heat to 360 degrees F.
• Pour the flour into a wide casserole dish. Whisk in salt and black pepper. Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour, and then fry them in the hot oil in batches. When they are browned, remove them from the oil and lay them on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat as necessary. Let cool.
• Start layering your ingredients in individual gratin dishes or in 2 disposable trays if making family-style servings: a few slices of fried eggplant, a small spoonful of red sauce, a couple of handfuls of mozzarella, a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan, a few leaves of basil. Repeat the layering 2 to 3 times (3 is better if your dish can accommodate it). For the top layer, finish with a final spoonful of red sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until bubbly and golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Reserve any remaining red sauce for another use.
• Serve garnished with a few leaves of basil, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and a touch of extra-virgin olive oil.
• Buon Appetito!

MELENZANA ALI OLIO

Steps:

• On the evening before you intend to make the dish, prepare the eggplant. Cut the ends off the eggplants, and peel. Cut the peeled eggplant into long strips about as big around as shoestring french fries. Place the strips into a large bowl, and stir in 1/2 cup of coarse salt.
• Place a sturdy dinner plate upside down in a clean sink, making sure that the drain is not blocked. Place a generous handful of the eggplant strips onto the center of the plate, and cover with another upside down dinner plate to create an eggplant sandwich. Layer more eggplant and plates until all of the eggplant is sandwiched. Cap it off with one additional plate, and press down firmly. Set a sturdy stock pot on top, and fill with enough water to create some pressure on the eggplant layers. Not so much pressure that you break your dishes though. Let this pressing process stand overnight.
• The next day, fill a large bowl with ice water. Begin dismantling your stack of plates. One layer (handful) at a time, briefly swish the eggplant around in the ice water, then squeeze dry and place into a clean bowl. If your hand starts to hurt, you are swishing too long. Once all of the eggplant is rinsed and squeezed and in the bowl, mix in the vinegar. Let rest for about 15 minutes.
• Heat a splash of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and sea salt. Cook and stir just until fragrant. You do not want to cook the garlic. Set aside to cool.
• Your eggplants should be well rested now. Give them one last sqeeze. Make it a good one, or your melenzana is going to taste like pickles. ''Don't worry, this is the last time, I promise...'' (This is to be said to the poor little melenzana - they've been through so much!)
• Place the squeezed eggplants into a large bowl, and stir in the contents of the skillet and remaining olive oil until well blended. Transfer to sterile 1 pint or 1/2 pint jars. Make sure to fill the jars to the top, and top off with any olive oil that may be left in the bowl. Wipe the rims with a clean dry cloth, and seal tightly with new lids. Refrigerate for at least a month before opening.