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"The Main Event" as Eggplant Saltimbocca, in honor of DOD's
inspiration for the dish.
Dave got the idea for Eggplant Casserole Italiano from
Master Chef, John Graziano, who calls it Eggplant Saltimbocca. John, a very
good friend as well as former associate, is still the Food and Beverage
Manager at a golf facility where Dave served as GM for several years. John
has also stinted as Head Chef at a number of high-end gourmet restaurants in
Colorado and Florida. He is truly an exceptional chef and caterer, and his
current venue is one of the busiest and best Golf Course Restaurants in
Colorado.
To put it simply, and within the overall philosophy of New
Italian Recipes, Dave took a really good dish of John's and worked with the
eggplant casserole until it best suited our taste.
The results are below for you to enjoy, and very possibly,
to embellish upon as we did. When you make the eggplant casserole better,
let us know, will you?
New Italian Recipes Presents:
(Dedicated to John Graziano)
Eggplant Casserole Italiano (Eggplant Saltimbocca)
Main Ingredients:
2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced into ¼” rounds
¾ cup milk
½ cup flour
2 eggs, beaten lightly for egg wash
1 cup Italian (seasoned) bread crumbs
1 pkg baby Spinach, fresh or frozen (No exact measurement, just throw in as
much as you like)
Salt and pepper (as much as you want)
2-10 garlic cloves, sliced really thin (we'd use 10) (This goes with the
sautéed spinach. See Prepare The Eggplant below)
Olive oil (You will be using this for eggplant, tomato sauce and spinach.
Use as much as you need [olive oil is good for you])
½ lb. thinly sliced provolone
4~6 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced (use regular ham or Canadian Bacon if
no prosciutto)
Large bunch fresh basil leaves (many as you want)
Grated parmigiano-reggiano (or regular parmesan if reggiano is too dear for
you)
Tomato Sauce Ingredients for eggplant casserole:
¼ cup olive oil (approximately)
1 onion, chopped
½ cup dry white wine (we use Chardonnay)
1 large can (28 oz.) diced Italian tomatoes
1~2 cloves garlic, minced
1~2 T Capers
½ cup chopped black olives
Salt and Pepper
2 T fresh chopped Italian Parsley
To Prepare The Tomato Sauce:
Heat olive oil over medium heat.
Sauté onion and garlic until it releases juices. 5 minutes.
Add wine, raise heat to med. high, and reduce for 2-3
minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook stirring occasionally, about 20
minutes. Should reduce and thicken into near paste.
Add capers and olives and simmer 2~3 minutes more.
Add salt, pepper, and parsley and turn off heat.
To Prepare The Eggplant:
Place the eggplant slices in the milk. Let them soak for about 20 minutes.
Arrange three plates next to a skillet heated over medium.
Put the flour in the first plate, egg wash in the second, and the
breadcrumbs in the third. Add about 1 T of olive oil to get started.
After taking a slice of eggplant out of the milk, dip it
first in the flour, then the egg wash, then the breadcrumbs.
Repeat with remaining eggplant rounds, as you add them to
the skillet. You will have to do this in batches.
At some point, heat a tablespoon or so olive oil in another
pan. Sauté the 2-10 clove of sliced garlic, then add the spinach. Remove
from heat as soon as the spinach wilts slightly.
To Assemble The Dish:
Place a layer of fried eggplant in 9 x 13 pan, or if you have a
17.5 x 12 non-stick lasagna pan, definitely use that.
Top with provolone, prosciutto, spinach, basil and sauce.
Add one or two more layers, however it comes out (you really
can't screw this up, it is THAT good).
Top with sauce and grated parmigiano-reggiano.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 15~20 minutes.
It helps to let it rest for 10 or 15 before serving to let
the flavors marry and for it to cool off enough to cut easily.
Okay, there you have it, Eggplant Casserole Italiano, a
really creative and exceptionally delicious dish. Practice once and you'll
be ready to unleash Eggplant Casserole Italiano on your "unsuspecting”
dinner guests. They’ll be delighted, we promise.
Serve it with an authentically made
Caesar Salad and a nice Italian red such as chianti or sangiovese.
If you never know what wine to buy when you visit your local
wine purveyor, why not join a wine club such as the
American Cellars Wine Club. You'll get different selections every month,
tailored to your tastes and pocket book. And, these have been selected by an
expert panel from some of the smaller wineries worldwide, selections you
probably will never find at your local store. We've been members for years
and highly recommend it!
Try this Eggplant Casserole soon. You never know when a
dinner party will "cry out" for it.
Buon appetito always!
Brought to you with love from
Aunt Aletha and Dear Old Dave
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