Basic Marinara
1 (28 oz.) can San Marzano or other Italian plum tomatoes, whole with juices
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup peeled and sliced garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup hot water
1- 1 1/4 tsp. salt, according to your taste
A couple stalks of fresh basil
The first thing you want to do is pour the tomatoes and their juices into a mixing bowl (don't throw the can away yet). Then, using your hands, or the hands of a willing short person (this is fun!), squish up the tomatoes into small pieces, removing any obvious pieces of core or skin.
A word about tomatoes: San Marzano really are the best for your sauces because they have a strong tomato taste, few seeds, and meatier flesh.
Pour the olive oil into a large skillet or a dutch oven. Scatter in the garlic slices and set over med.-high heat. Cook until the slices are sizzling and push aside to make room for the red pepper flakes. Toast the flakes for another 30 seconds.
Stir the garlic until it's light golden and just starting to darken. (Watch carefully....not the time to make a call) Immediately pour in the tomatoes and stir around with the garlic. You should hear a nice sizzle! Pour the water into the empty tomato can, swish around to clean all the tomato off the sides, and pour into the pot (Frugality is another Italian trait). Raise the heat, add the salt, and stir. Push the stalks of basil down into the sauce until completely covered.
When the sauce has come to a boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat slightly, and cook at an active bubbling simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook for another 10 minutes or so....until it's reduced to your liking. Then, remove the basil and blend up the sauce with an immersion blender, right in the pot. This will get rid of any big pieces of garlic. ( If you don't have an immersion blender, let the sauce cool a little and blend it up in a regular blender or food processor. If the sauce is still hot, remove the little center piece from the blender top and cover the hole with a towel to prevent pressure building up and splattering.) Now your sauce is ready to be used in your recipe.
Click Next for part 2
↚
Eggplant Parmesan Stacks (serves 4)1 eggplant, about 1 1/2 pounds
olive oil, for brushing slices
Kosher salt
3/4 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup plus 2 tblsp. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
3 tblsp. chopped basil
1 1/2 tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 recipe Basic Marinara
1 1/4 # fresh mozzarella, sliced in 1/4" thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
Trim off the ends of the eggplant and slice it into about 1/3" thick slices. Gather the slices in groups of three, matching the size as much as you can.
A word about eggplant: When you go to buy eggplant, look for fairly firm ones. If there's no give when you press against it, it was picked too early.....if you leave an indentation when you press, it's overripe. It should have a little give. You want an eggplant with smooth, shiny skin, and no brown or soft spots. Japanese eggplants have a more consistent diameter from one end to the other and work very well for this type of recipe, but globe eggplants seem to be more readily available, at least in my area, and work very well. Your stacks just won't all be the exact same size. But, I think that works well for a family, because even the kids can feel special with their own little stack, instead of having to have one of the bigger stacks cut in half for them.
Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil, season with the salt, and place seasoned-side down on a stove top grill or grill pan that has been preheating over medium-high. Then brush and season the second side when they're on the grill. Cook the slices for 8-10 minutes, turning once. (You'll be grilling these in batches so keep track of which slices go together.) When the slices come off the grill, stack them up again.
In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, pepper, oregano, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil and stir to combine. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Now you're ready to assemble.
Click Next for part 3
↚
Get out a sheet pan that has sides, and line it with parchment paper. It's easiest to assemble each stack right on the sheet pan. Each stack will consist of 1 eggplant slice, some marinara, breadcrumb mixture, and slice of fresh mozzarella, repeated 3 times. You can finish off the top with a bit more crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is bubbling. You can remove them all to a platter or each one to an individual plate.
Serve immediately with a little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and another sprinkling of Parmesan. And don't forget to pass the rest of the marinara at the table, in case people want extra. ENJOY!!
Please join our facebook group for more recipes and tipsClick Here to join
Post a Comment