EGGPLANT PIE

EGGPLANT PIE image

Categories Vegetable Side Bake Easter Vegetarian

Yield 8-10 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 24

Previous Next

Ingredients

Ingredients:
For the eggplant
3 small (1 1/2 pounds total) eggplants (not peeled, ends trimmed), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
For the kale layer
1 teaspoon salt (for the cooking water)
1 pound kale, torn into pieces and cleaned
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
Leaves from 2 stems of oregano (2 tablespoons)
5 large basil leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup (loosely packed; 1 ounce) shredded pecorino cheese
1/2 cup (loosely packed; 1 ounce) shredded Parmesan cheese
For assembly
1 1/4 cups store-bought marinara sauce
For asssembly
8 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
For assembly
Roasted red peppers from a 13-ounce jar, drained, then split open and laid flat
1/4 cup (loosely packed; 1 ounce) shredded Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt and spread them out on a double thickness of paper towels. Cover with another double thickness of paper towels and let stand for 15 minutes. Press down on the top layer of paper towels to blot up as much water as possible. Spray both sides of the eggplant slices with nonstick olive oil cooking spray. Broil the eggplant slices for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and soft to the touch. (The eggplant slices can also be grilled, which gives them a delightful smoky flavor.) Transfer the broiled eggplant to a large bowl. For the kale layer: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the kale and cook for 5 minutes, until it is soft but still bright green. Drain and rinse the kale in cold water until it is completely cool. Use your hands to squeeze as much water out of the kale as possible, then use a chef's knife to coarsely chop the kale, making sure there are no large pieces of stems. (There should be about 3 cups.) Place the chopped kale in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, herbs, seasonings and cheeses; mix well. To assemble: Spray the inside of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking oil spray. Spread 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of the pie plate. Starting from the outside and working in, use half of the broiled eggplant to line the bottom of the plate in slightly overlapping concentric circles. Then build layers in this order: half of the kale mixture; 1/2 cup of marinara sauce, half of the shredded mozzarella cheese, all of the red peppers, the remaining kale mixture, the remaining marinara sauce, the remaining eggplant the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the cheese is a deep golden brown and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack for 15 minutes to allow the pie to settle.