Post by EscapeHatch on Aug 22, 2009 9:27:40 GMT -5
I love Italian cooking above all else. It's the Irish in me, I guess?
One recipe I do with left over marinara sauce is something common, but, with a twist. I use a gas BBQ for the grilling and an electric roaster in my outdoor kitchen during warmer months.
Pizziti al Forno con Melanzane
1 Lb Japanese Eggplants, or a smallish regular eggplant
2 T Olive Oil
4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, if large, 6 if small, smashed with the flat side of a knife, then minced
4-6 C Left over Marinara sauce, or fresh Sugo di Pomodoro
2 Green Bell Peppers, they must be very green and very large and firm
1 Lb Mild (sweet) Italian Sausage
8 oz Pepperoni, thinly sliced for pizza
6 oz Dried Italian salame, deli sliced paper thin
1/2 Lb Ziti, cooked per instructions, Penne works, too.
1/2 C Grated Pamigiano Reggiano
4 C Shredded Mozzarella
1 C Shredded Fontina or young Asiago
1/4 C Grated Pamigiano Reggiano
Wash the eggplant and pierce the skin a few times with a fork. Roast in a 350 deg. preheated oven, or roaster, for about an hour, or until very tender when squeezed. Remove and cool.
Preheat the BBQ and grill the bell peppers over medium high heat until almost blackened all over. At the same time, over a cooler part of the grill, cook the sausages until just done. Make small cuts to check for doneness. Remove and cool.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, scrape off the skin, open and remove the seeds and ribs.
Arrange the pepperoni and salami slices so that none are overlapped on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake in a 425 deg. preheated oven until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove and cool.
In a sauce pan, saute the onion in the oilive oil until it just starts to turn translucent. Move the onion to the sides of the pan and add the garlic. Saute for only 3 or 4 more minutes.
Cut open and scoop out the eggplant pulp. Make sure to get all the juices! Mash the pulp and add to the cooked onion. Stir a bit, only about 30 seconds, then add the marinara. Allow to simmer for up to 30 minutes. It can sit with the fire off and a lid tightly closed.
Slice the cooked sausage- size doesn't matter much. Cut the peppers into bite size pieces.
Oil a suitable size casserole. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, meats, peppers, parmigiano and 2/3 of the sauce. It should be just slightly saucy, so, sneak up with sauce.
Spoon the mixture into the casserole. Top with more sauce and the last three cheeses. Drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil.
Bake in an oven or roaster preheated to 350 deg until hot and bubbly.
Due to the high specific heat of tomato, be sure to allow it to cool a bit before serving. It is also great just luke warm, as with many baked Italian dishes.
Serve with plenty of cheese at the table and a red wine. A red with some fruit works best, like a Barbera, Chianti or Pinot Noir.
For the Italophiles, don't try finding a definition for Pizziti. I made it up.
One recipe I do with left over marinara sauce is something common, but, with a twist. I use a gas BBQ for the grilling and an electric roaster in my outdoor kitchen during warmer months.
Pizziti al Forno con Melanzane
1 Lb Japanese Eggplants, or a smallish regular eggplant
2 T Olive Oil
4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, if large, 6 if small, smashed with the flat side of a knife, then minced
4-6 C Left over Marinara sauce, or fresh Sugo di Pomodoro
2 Green Bell Peppers, they must be very green and very large and firm
1 Lb Mild (sweet) Italian Sausage
8 oz Pepperoni, thinly sliced for pizza
6 oz Dried Italian salame, deli sliced paper thin
1/2 Lb Ziti, cooked per instructions, Penne works, too.
1/2 C Grated Pamigiano Reggiano
4 C Shredded Mozzarella
1 C Shredded Fontina or young Asiago
1/4 C Grated Pamigiano Reggiano
Wash the eggplant and pierce the skin a few times with a fork. Roast in a 350 deg. preheated oven, or roaster, for about an hour, or until very tender when squeezed. Remove and cool.
Preheat the BBQ and grill the bell peppers over medium high heat until almost blackened all over. At the same time, over a cooler part of the grill, cook the sausages until just done. Make small cuts to check for doneness. Remove and cool.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, scrape off the skin, open and remove the seeds and ribs.
Arrange the pepperoni and salami slices so that none are overlapped on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake in a 425 deg. preheated oven until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove and cool.
In a sauce pan, saute the onion in the oilive oil until it just starts to turn translucent. Move the onion to the sides of the pan and add the garlic. Saute for only 3 or 4 more minutes.
Cut open and scoop out the eggplant pulp. Make sure to get all the juices! Mash the pulp and add to the cooked onion. Stir a bit, only about 30 seconds, then add the marinara. Allow to simmer for up to 30 minutes. It can sit with the fire off and a lid tightly closed.
Slice the cooked sausage- size doesn't matter much. Cut the peppers into bite size pieces.
Oil a suitable size casserole. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, meats, peppers, parmigiano and 2/3 of the sauce. It should be just slightly saucy, so, sneak up with sauce.
Spoon the mixture into the casserole. Top with more sauce and the last three cheeses. Drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil.
Bake in an oven or roaster preheated to 350 deg until hot and bubbly.
Due to the high specific heat of tomato, be sure to allow it to cool a bit before serving. It is also great just luke warm, as with many baked Italian dishes.
Serve with plenty of cheese at the table and a red wine. A red with some fruit works best, like a Barbera, Chianti or Pinot Noir.
For the Italophiles, don't try finding a definition for Pizziti. I made it up.