Smoky Eggplant Caponata With Toasted Pine Nuts Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Toss the eggplant, bell peppers and shallots with the olive oil, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread the vegetables on the lined baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and stir in the parsley, capers, raisins, lemon zest, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.
• Serve the caponata with baguette slices.

Steps:

• Cook 1 chopped onion in a skillet with 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 minutes. Add 1 each chopped celery stalk and eggplant; cook 4 minutes. Add 1 chopped red bell pepper and cook 3 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons golden raisins, some chopped oregano and 1/2 cup water; simmer 8 minutes. Add 1 cup halved grape tomatoes and 1 tablespoon each cider vinegar and capers; cook 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with torn basil.
• SERVES 6
• Calories: 138
• Total Fat: 9 grams
• Saturated Fat: 1 grams
• Protein: 2 grams
• Total carbohydrates: 14 grams
• Sugar: 7 grams
• Fiber: 4.5 grams
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 199 milligrams

Steps:

• Prepare a hot fire (400°F) in a wood-fired oven or grill.
• Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let drain over the sink or a bowl for 30 to 40 minutes. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
• Pour 1/2 inch of olive oil into a large cast-iron skillet and heat it in the oven until hot enough to make a piece of eggplant sizzle. Add the eggplant and roast in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a bowl.
• In the same pan, heat the reserved olive oil from the toasted pine nuts and roast the onion until translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the eggplant. Reheat the oil and sauté the celery for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and add to the eggplant mixture. Add the bell pepper, olives, capers, and sliced garlic to the eggplant mixture.
• Heat the tomatoes in the skillet in the oven until they come to a simmer, then add the vinegar, sugar, and black pepper to taste. Simmer for another 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, add the toasted pine nuts, and add to the bowl of vegetables. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Let cool to room temperature and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Saute eggplant until each piece becomes saturated with oil. Use eggplant to line the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish. Saute the red peppers until tender, and layer over eggplant in casserole dish. Top with mozzarella.
• Heat remaining olive oil, and cook onions and garlic until lightly browned and caramelized. Stir in stewed tomatoes, basil, and oregano and simmer 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add anchovy fillets, if using, and capers. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the mozzarella cheese in the casserole dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of sauce.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted.