Eggplant, Tomato, And Scamorza Lasagnetta

Name: Eggplant, Tomato, And Scamorza Lasagnetta
Ingredients: 1/2 pound "00" or all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough; 8 ounce egg yolks; 1 cup heavy cream; 4 tablespoon grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese; 4 medium-sized italian eggplants, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds; 4 medium-sized beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds; 1/2 cup garlic-infused olive oil; salt and pepper, to taste; 1/4 cup dried thyme; cooking spray; 1 cup thick tomato sauce*; 12 ounce smoked scamorza or provola cheese, grated roughly; 6 basil leaves, julienned; 1/4 cup dried oregano; 1 cup béchamel sauce; 2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

Roberto Deiaco|May 24, 2012 4:49 pm EST

3.2 (11 ratings)

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For something truly special, try these decadent lasagnetta made with fresh pasta dough and layers of roasted eggplant and tomatoes. It's a dish that's sure to impress a first date or guests at an intimate, elegant dinner party. See all recipes for lasagna.

Servings

4

Ingredients

1/2 pound "00" or all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
8 ounce egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoon grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
4 medium-sized italian eggplants, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
4 medium-sized beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup garlic-infused olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dried thyme
cooking spray
1 cup thick tomato sauce*
12 ounce smoked scamorza or provola cheese, grated roughly
6 basil leaves, julienned
1/4 cup dried oregano
1 cup béchamel sauce**
2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

Directions

In a bowl, combine the flour and egg yolks and knead just until the dough comes together. Place in the refrigerator to rest.
Meanwhile, place the heavy cream in a saucepan and boil until reduced by ½, then add the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, stirring continuously until dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the eggplant and tomato on separate baking sheets, brush with the garlic-infused oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste, and the thyme.
Bake the eggplant until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 210 degrees (or the lowest setting) and bake the tomatoes until slightly dried, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven, set aside, and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out into 1/16-inch-thick sheets and use a mold to cut sixteen 4-inch rounds of dough. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Season with salt, to taste. Set up an ice water bath.
Quickly blanch the rounds of dough, for about 10 seconds each, then cool in the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Place them on a paper towel to dry. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Once dry, place 4 rounds on the baking sheet. Begin layering the tomato, eggplant, a spoonful of tomato sauce, grated scamorza cheese, julienned basil, a pinch of dried oregano, and a teaspoon of béchamel sauce.
Repeat 3 times, starting with another layer of dough, then the tomato, etc., to make a total of 4 layers on each lasagnetta, topping the final round of dough with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. (You will have 4 lasagnetta total.) Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
Divide and spoon the sauce evenly on the center of 4 plates. Remove the lasagnetta from the oven, and using a spatula, move each lasagnetta to the center of the plate. Serve immediately while hot.