Vicos Marinated Eggplant With Tomatoes And Mozzarella Recipes

EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. Add the rigatoni and cook 3 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss the eggplant and tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on the baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is golden brown and tomatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
• Toss the rigatoni with the eggplant, tomatoes, about 1/4 cup pasta water and the marinara sauce in a large bowl. If it looks dry, add the remaining pasta water. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella.
• Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish and top with the remaining cup mozzarella and the Parmesan and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (Turn the broiler on at the end if you want the cheese to brown more.) Garnish with additional Parmesan and the chopped basil and serve.

VICO'S MARINATED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Peel the eggplant and cut into quarter-inch slices lengthwise. Salt each slice and stack in a shallow pie pan, cover with a plate that will fit inside the pan and weigh it down with a small heavy skillet. Refrigerate for 12 hours, draining once after the slices have given up some of their liquid.
• Bring the vinegar and one cup of water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Drain the eggplant slices and blanch the slices in the vinegar and water for one minute, drain and pat dry.
• Lightly coat a non-reactive loaf pan with a little of the oil. Layer the pan with the eggplant slices, garlic, herbs and oil until all the ingredients are stacked in the pan. Cover with oil, cover tightly and refrigerate for one week before using.
• Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and chop. Place them in a bowl with the oregano, salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil, or enough to coat, and set aside.
• Place four to five marinated eggplant slices on individual serving plates and set aside.
• Bring one quart of water to the boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Turn off the heat, add the mozzarella cubes and let sit for 30 seconds. Remove the cubes with a slotted spoon and divide among the salad plates. Evenly divide the tomatoes and their juices over the mozzarella and top with the parsley sprigs. Serve immediately.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare a barbecue (or preheat a broiler). Cut the eggplants into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Spread on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil on both sides. Set aside.
• Cut mozzarella in half crosswise, then slice each half about 1/4-inch thick to create half-moon shaped pieces. Slice tomatoes in the same manner. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella decoratively around the edge of a large serving platter.
• Place eggplant slices on barbecue (or place on baking sheet in broiler) and cook, turning once, until nicely charred on each side; the eggplant should almost caramelize. Arrange the cooked eggplant down the center of the serving platter, surrounded by the tomatoes and mozzarella. Pluck about 12 large leaves from the basil bunch, stack them, roll them up like a cigar, then slice crosswise into thin shreds (?chiffonade?). Scatter the basil shreds over the vegetables and cheese, then drizzle balsamic vinegar and more olive oil over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and let stand until eggplant is at room temperature.

FRIED EGGPLANT AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Directions:.
• Sprinkle the salt onto the eggplants slices and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Rinse the salt from the eggplant slices and pat them dry.
• Form sandwiches out of 2 slices of eggplant with a slice of mozzarella and a basil leaf in the middle.
• Dredge the eggplant sandwiches in the flour.
• Dip them into the egg and then in the bread crumbs to coat.
• Fry in oil until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes each.
• Cut into four and serve with a tasty tomato sauce.

EGGPLANT, TOMATO, AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
• Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture.
• Add water and 1 tablespoon oil, stirring to form a soft dough.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times.
• Gently press dough into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover and chill 15 minutes.
• Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface.
• Unwrap dough, and place chilled dough on plastic wrap.
• Cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap.
• Roll dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle.
• Remove top sheets of plastic wrap.
• Fit dough, plastic-wrap side up, into a 10-inch round ceramic tart dish coated with cooking spray.
• Remove remaining plastic wrap.
• Press dough against bottom and sides of pan.
• Pierce bottom and sides of dough with a fork; bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• To prepare filling, arrange eggplant on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels.
• Sprinkle eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 15 minutes.
• Pat dry with paper towels; brush eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon oil.
• Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
• Stack eggplant slices on a plate; cover with plastic wrap.
• Let eggplant stand 7 minutes to steam.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, oregano, mint, and tomatoes.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons smoked mozzarella on bottom of baked crust.
• Layer eggplant and tomato mixture in crust; sprinkle with 6 tablespoons smoked mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
• Cut into 8 wedges.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN WITH FRESH BASIL AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Line a plate with a paper towel; place a layer of 2 or 3 slices of eggplant onto the towel. Sprinkle eggplant with sea salt. Repeat layers of eggplant sprinkled with salt until all eggplant slices are stacked. Place 2 paper towels onto the stack and place a plate on top of the towels. Lay a heavy book or can of food onto the plate to squeeze out moisture. Allow to drip for 20 minutes to 2 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
• Beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices in the egg mixture and gently press into the crumbs to coat; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; fry eggplant slices in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Pour about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and arrange a layer of eggplant slices to cover the sauce. Scatter basil and a few slices of smoked mozzarella cheese over eggplant; repeat layers, ending with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Trim off each end of eggplant. Cut eggplant lengthwise in half. Place each half, cut side down, on flat surface and cut crosswise into half-moon shapes, each about one-third-inch thick. There should be a total of about 34 slices.
• Trim off ends of tomatoes and cut away the cores. Cut tomatoes crosswise into slices, each about one-inch thick. There should be about 32 pieces. Alternate tomato slices with eggplant slices and arrange them compactly in a baking dish.
• Combine garlic, rosemary and oregano and sprinkle over layered eggplant. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dribble oil over all.
• Place dish in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Baste the layered eggplant with any juices that have accumulated around it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.