Grilled Eggplant Caponata Bruschetta With Ricotta Salata Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• 2. Add the peas, asparagus tips, haricots verts, and green onions and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. (If you're using frozen peas, you can throw them in during the last couple of minutes, to thaw.) Drain, transfer to a bowl of salted ice water to stop cooking, and drain again. Puree the rest in a food processor with the ricotta, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Set it aside until ready to use.
• 3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• 4. Make the bruschetta by cutting thin slices of the baguette. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and bake in a hot oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and rub with peeled garlic cloves while still warm.
• 5. To serve, spoon the garden puree onto the toasted bread. Garnish with a large shaving of ricotta salada and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat grill or broiler.
• Brush each eggplant slice generously with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
• Place the slices on the preheated grill. Cook on both sides until the eggplant is soft and pliable and has a nice char. Remove from grill and let cool. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, coarsely chop and reserve in a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta, vinegar, oregano, Parmigiano and crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Season with salt and reserve.
• While the grill is still hot, grill the slices of bread on each side. When the bread comes off the grill rub each piece with a raw garlic clove and brush lightly with olive oil.
• Top each piece of bread with the grilled eggplant mixture.

Steps:

• Place the eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle generously with salt and let stand 30 minutes. (This removes the excess water from the eggplant.) Rinse the eggplant and arrange in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat dry. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat (see Cook's Note).
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Brush the eggplant and bread slices with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and pepper.
• Line a small rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Toss the grape tomatoes, vinegar, honey and the remaining tablespoon olive oil on the foil. Bake the tomatoes until they burst, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill the eggplant until browned and tender, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Grill the bread until toasted and grill marks appear, 1 minute on each side. Rub the cut sides of the garlic on the bread. Set aside.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a medium bowl. Coarsely chop the eggplant and add to the tomatoes. Add the chopped basil, then season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the ricotta onto the grilled bread. Top with the eggplant mixture and garnish with additional basil. Cut the bread in half, if desired.

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt and place in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until caponata is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Season caponata with vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

Steps:

• Make the caponata: In a heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat until it hot but not smoking, in it cook the eggplant, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is tender, and transfer it to a bowl. To the skillet add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and in it cook the onion and the celery over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the olives, the capers, the vinegar, the sugar, the raisins, the pine nuts, and the tomatoes and cook the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is cooked through and the celery is tender, and transfer it to the bowl. Stir in the parsley, let the caponata cool, and chill it, covered,overnight. Season the caponata with salt and pepper.
• Make the bruschetta: Grill the bread on an oiled rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals for 1 minute on each side, brush the toasts on one side with the oil, and sprinkle them with salt to taste.
• Top each toast generously with some of the caponata, arrange 2 or 3 toasts on each of 4 plates, and garnish each serving with the parsley sprigs.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use a little of the oil to brush the bottom of an oblong baking dish, like a lasagna pan, 9 by 13 inches. Snip off any stems from the eggplants but keep the leaves on. Quarter the eggplants vertically and place them skin side down in the baking dish. Brush the cut sides with oil, about a tablespoon. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, but keep oven on. Place the eggplant quarters on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut away the flesh, quite close to the skin. Dice the flesh, then chop it fine, by hand or in a food processor. But don't let it become a purée.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the ham and sauté on medium until it barely starts to brown. Add the garlic and oregano, sauté another 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Cook on medium-high until any juices from the tomatoes begin to reduce, about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggplant. Season with salt, black pepper and Espelette. Stir in 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining oil.
• Top the eggplant skins with this mixture, mounding it up a bit. Return eggplants to the baking dish. Top each with the cheese and drizzle with remaining oil. Bake 20 minutes, until eggplants start to sizzle and cheese has softened - it won't melt. Serve at once or let cool and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the raisins, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook about 2 minutes, then cover and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. Stir in half the eggplant to coat evenly in the oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (Eggplant should brown and tenderize but still maintain its shape.) Heat another 1/4 cup oil, then add remaining eggplant; season and repeat.
• While the eggplant cooks, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. (You might not use all the pasta water.)
• Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shallot, pine nuts, capers, garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the shallot is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant, along with the sliced basil and vinegar.
• Strain the soaked raisins, discarding the soaking liquid, then add the raisins to the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. The mixture should taste quite aggressively salty and tangy, but it will mellow when tossed with pasta and ricotta. (Eggplant mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• Add eggplant mixture, pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the pot. Toss to coat over medium heat until eggplant is warmed, adding extra pasta water if necessary. Divide among shallow bowls, top with ricotta and additional torn basil and serve immediately. Pass with additional olive oil for drizzling, if desired.