Timbale Of Eggplant And Macaroni Recipes

Steps:

• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
• Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the springform pan with the grilled eggplant. Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly. Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale. Bake the timbale until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set. To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. Slice and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the eggplant slices on top of a sheet tray lined with parchment or waxed paper. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven until it turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool.
• Oil the bottoms and sides of 6 souffle dishes and layer 4 to 5 pieces of eggplant in a circular pattern into each souffle dish, letting excess drape out over the edge.
• Heat up the tomato sauce in a large saucepan. Then turn off flame. Reserve some tomato sauce for plating in a smaller pot.
• In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook the cavatelli pasta for 3 to 4 minutes, and drain.
• In the pot with the sauce, add the partially cooked cavatelli, mozzarella, and pecorino to the tomato sauce and cook over medium heat just to blend well. When hot, stir in the basil chiffonade. Spoon the pasta-sauce mixture into the souffle dishes and fold over the top with excess eggplant. Bake in oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
• To serve, spoon the remaining tomato sauce onto individual plates. Turn a finished timballo upside down onto a large spatula to remove it from the souffle dish, then carefully slide it onto the plates. Sprinkle with pecorino and garnish with a basil leaf.
• In a heavy 5-quart saucepan cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic, basil, bay leaf, and salt and pepper, to taste, in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes with reserved juice.
• Simmer sauce, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Steps:

• Cut eggplants lengthwise into 20 (1/4-inch-thick) slices total with a long serrated knife and transfer to a colander. Toss with 2 tablespoons sea salt, then let drain 1 hour.
• While eggplant drains, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion and garlic, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in basil.
• Gently squeeze eggplant to remove excess moisture (this helps reduce any bitter flavor) and pat dry. Heat 1/4 inch oil (about 2 cups) in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer, then fry eggplant in 4 batches, turning over once with tongs, until golden, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain in colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and toss pasta with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Line up 5 pasta strands parallel to one another on a work surface and cut crosswise into thirds. Put 1 fried eggplant slice on work surface and stack cut pasta (15 pieces) across 1 end of slice. Roll up eggplant, leaving ends of pasta exposed, and transfer to baking dish, seam side down. Make more rolls in same manner with remaining eggplant and pasta, transferring to dish (rolls will fit snugly). Spoon remaining sauce over eggplant, then cover dish loosely with foil. Bake until rolls are heated through, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Cut eggplants lengthwise into 20 (1/4-inch-thick) slices total with a long serrated knife and transfer to a colander. Toss with 2 tablespoons sea salt, then let drain 1 hour.
• While eggplant drains, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion and garlic, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in basil.
• Gently squeeze eggplant to remove excess moisture (this helps reduce any bitter flavor) and pat dry. Heat 1/4 inch oil (about 2 cups) in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer, then fry eggplant in 4 batches, turning over once with tongs, until golden, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain in colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and toss pasta with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Line up 5 pasta strands parallel to one another on a work surface and cut crosswise into thirds. Put 1 fried eggplant slice on work surface and stack cut pasta (15 pieces) across 1 end of slice. Roll up eggplant, leaving ends of pasta exposed, and transfer to baking dish, seam side down. Make more rolls in same manner with remaining eggplant and pasta, transferring to dish (rolls will fit snugly). Spoon remaining sauce over eggplant, then cover dish loosely with foil. Bake until rolls are heated through, about 15 minutes.
• Cooks' notes:.
• • Tomato sauce, without basil, can be made 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Stir in basil before proceeding.
• • To take the temperature of a shallow amount of oil, put bulb in skillet and turn thermometer facedown, resting other end against rim of skillet. Check temperature frequently.
• • Dish can be assembled (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered (basil may discolor). Bring to room temperature to bake.