Melanzane Al Forno con Peperoni, Pomodoro e Mozzarella

The eggplants have been especially beguiling this year at the Farmers' Market. All diferent varieties, shapes and colors. I would buy them before I had any idea how I would cook them. Kay's friend and excellent cook, Anne DeBois, put me on to this recipe from Marcella Cucina. It is absolutely wonderful--rich and luscious. Vegetarians need no longer feel like second-class citizens when you serve them this splendid dish.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH PEPPERS, TOMATO, AND MOZZARELLA

1. 2 eggplants, about 1 1/2 pounds each
2. 4 to 7 garlic cloves, depending on their size, peeled and sliced very thin
3. Salt
4. Freshly ground black pepper
5. 1/3 cup vegetable oil
6. 1 red or yellow bell pepper
7. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive ol
8. 2/3 cup canned Italian plum tomaties, drained and cut up or fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut up
9. 1/2 pound mozzarella, cut into thin slices
10. 8 or 10 basil leaves
11. 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
12. 2 tablespoons, fine, dry, unflavored breadcrumbs
13. 1 1/2 tablespoons butter

 

Wash the eggplants, slice off their stems and cut them lengthwise in half. With a sharp paring knife, deeply score the flesh side of the eggplant in a crosshatched diamond pattern. Cut down close to the skin, but not through it. Slip some of the garlic slices into the cuts, about 6 or 7 slices into each eggplant half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Choose a lidded skillet or saute pan that can accomodate the eggplants in a single layer. Put in the vegetable oil. Arrange the eggplant halves in the pan with their flesh side facing up, turn on the heat to medium, and cover the pan. Cook until the skin side begins to wrinkle and soften, then turn the eggplant over. When the flesh side becomes colored a golden brown, turn them over again. Continue cooking until the eggplant flesh feels completely tender and creamy when tested with a fork.

Using a slotted spoon or spatula, lift the eggplants out of the pan and place the, flesh side up, in a baking dish.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Split the pepper open, remove the core and all the seeds; and, using a swivel-bladed peeler, skin the pepper raw. Cut it lengthwise into strips.

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a little saucepan, add the remaining garlic slices, turn the heat to medium, and cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, just until it becomes colored a pale gold.

Put in the pepper and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the cut-up tomatoes, salt, and several grindings of black pepper. Cook at a steady simmer, stirring from time to time, ujntil the tomatoes lose all their watery liquid and turn into a dense sauce.

Cover the eggplants in the baking dish with mozzarella slices, sprinkle the basil leaves over the mozzarella, then top with the tomato and pepper sauce, distributing it uniformly over each eggplant half.

Over the sauce, evenly sprinkle the grated Parmesan and the bread crumbs.

Dot with butter and place the dish in the uppermost level of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes and let the dish rest 15 minutes or so before serving.

I had smaller eggplants than the recipe called for and used three instead of two. Worked like a charm.

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