This vegetarian dish is hearty and delicious paired with a Laurel Glen Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a hearty, comfort-food casserole that has no meat and LOTS of vegetables. Laurel Glen works with Shaun Myrick, a talented recipe developer, who always comes through with something delicious. Serves 5. Recipe & photo by Shaun Myrick
INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggplant
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- ½ cup ricotta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup grated Mozzarella
- ½ chopped onion
- 6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
- ½ can water
- ¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives
- 2 T drained capers
- 5 Basil leaves, chopped
- 12 Crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bag baby spinach, chopped
- ½ jar roasted peppers, coarsely chopped
- Parmesan and Mozzarella for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 10 slices about 1/2 inch thick. Dice up the end pieces and save for the sauce. Lay the eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle both sides with salt. Let sit for one hour to reduce moisture and bitterness. Rinse after 1 hour and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Lay the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush both sides with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes until there is some color on the bottom side of each slice. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While eggplant is roasting start sauce: In a pan over medium heat, sauté onion and minced eggplant with one-tablespoon olive oil. It should take about 10 minutes for the eggplant to get softened. Add 2/3 garlic (4 cloves) and sauté briefly without burning. Add in tomatoes and water. Stir and break up any big bits of tomato. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and let mixture reduce and thicken. Remove half of the sauce and purée in a blender, return to the sauce. Once mixture is thickened, add in basil, capers and chopped olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl mix ricotta, cheeses, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- In the same pan used for sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms (or sausage) and sauté until golden. Add remaining garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add in spinach and toss until wilted.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish. On a cutting board, divide the cheese mixture among half the eggplant slices and smooth to cover each slice. Continue with mushrooms mixture and peppers, dividing evenly among the slices. Transfer the loaded eggplant slices into the baking dish with a spatula.
- Spoon one or two spoonsful of tomato sauce over each slice, and then top with remaining eggplant slices. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with desired amount of leftover cheese. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 -10 minutes to firm up.
- Serve with pasta or nice crusty bread.