Eggplant Pie With Italian Sausage Bechamel Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• The eggplant: Trim the ends off the eggplant and slice into ¼-inch thick rounds. Layer the slices into a large bowl, sprinkling each layer with kosher salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse well in fresh water, and lay out on a kitchen towel covering with a second towel. Let dry for a few minutes. (If you are sure the eggplants are not a variety prone to bitterness you can skip the salting step.) Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and, working in batches, brown the eggplant nicely on each side replenishing the olive oil as needed. Be sparing, though, because eggplant is a like an oil sponge and can easily become too oily. Set aside. The sauce: If the sausage is in links, remove the casing and chop. If using bulk sausage simply break up. Put the sausage in a frying pan and cook over medium heat until well brown and the fat has rendered out. Place in a strainer set in a bowl to drain. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds. Let them cool for a minute or two then peel. Cut out the stems and halve equatorially. Squeeze out the seeds and set aside. Coarsely chop the onion and bell pepper. Finely chop them in a food processor. Heat a bit of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid and sweat the onions and peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes until fragrant. Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and add to the onions and peppers. Tear the herb leaves into the pot. Add the crushed red pepper, sugar, red wine, and black pepper. Cover partially and simmer gently for a half hour or longer. Puree the sauce with a stick blender or, very carefully, in a food processor. Add the sausage and return to a very low simmer until warm through. The dish: Heat the oven to 350° (325° for convection). Cover the bottom of an 8" x 10" x 2"metal or glass baking dish with a thin layer of the sauce. Layer the eggplant overlapping the slices. Cover with the rest of the sauce. Spread the shredded mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with the parmesan. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and finish until nicely browned. Allow to set for at least five minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling. , In a small skillet, melt butter. Add eggplant; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, celery and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the eggplant, tomato sauce, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. , Spoon beef mixture into pie crust. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Get yourself a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Heat a 2 count of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.
• Turn the heat down to medium. Add a generous 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.
• Add another 2 count of oil to the skillet, then your onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.
• By this time your pasta water will be boiling. Add the rigatoni, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water. Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula. Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Steps:

• Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
• To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant, and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).