Lisa Valastro Gonzalez Recipes

LISA VALASTRO'S EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Cut the eggplant crosswise into 1/4-inch thick rounds; you will have about 20 rounds
• Put the slices in a colander, salt liberally, toss and let rest in the sink for 1 hour to draw out the bitterness and excess moisture
• Rinse briefly under cold running water, turning to expose all of the eggplant to the water, then drain, remove the slices from the colander, and pat dry with paper towels
• Position a rack in the center of the oven
• Preheat to 375˚F
• Arrange a wire rack over a baking sheet
• Line a large plate or platter with paper towels
• Put the breadcrumbs in a wide shallow bowl
• Put the eggs in another bowl with 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano and whisk
• Put the flour in the third bowl
• Working with 1 eggplant slice at a time, dredge the slices in the flour, then the eggs, then breadcrumbs
• As they are prepared, gather them in a single layer on the wire rack
• Heat a wide, deep, heavy skillet over medium-high heat
• Pour in oil to a depth of 1/4 inch, and heat until a few breadcrumbs added to the oil sizzle and brown
• Carefully add the eggplant to the oil in batches, without crowding, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 2- 3 minutes per side, turning the slices with tongs when the first side is browned
• As they are done, use the tongs to transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt
• Repeat until all the eggplant slices are fried, drained, and seasoned
• When the slices are cool enough to handle, lightly oil a shallow glass or ceramic 9x13 x2 baking dish
• Ladle a few tablespoons of the marinara sauce onto the dish and use the back of the ladle to spread it and coat the bottom of the dish
• Arrange the eggplant slices in overlapping fashion in baking dish
• Scatter 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano over them and ladle more sauce over the cheese
• Cover with a layer of mozzarella
• Repeat with another layer of eggplant, 2 more tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano, sauce, and mozzarella, and finish with the final 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• (Although best baked right away, the eggplant Parmesan may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight
• Remove the plastic and let come to room temperature before baking
• ) Bake until the cheese is hot and bubbling and the dish is hot throughout, 20 to 30 minutes
• Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving

BUDDY VALASTRO'S GRANDMA MADDALENA'S SAUSAGE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Sauce:.
• In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil, add the beef, pork, veal and sausage (without casing) and cook until browned.
• Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the meat is coated.
• Add tomatoes with their juices and the tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened about 1 1/2 hours.
• Ricotta:.
• In large bowl, combine the ricotta with the parsley, basil, 1 cup of the Parmesan, 1 pound of the shredded mozzarella and beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Noodles:.
• The instructions suggested cooking the dry, curly-ridged lasagna noodles 3 minutes in abundant salted water, drained, rinsed -- I say use fresh, no-cook or even the curly edged pasta, and forget about the pre-cooking. I guarantee the sauce will cook the noodles after 45 minutes of cooking time. This also makes life much easier.
• Lasagna Time:.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F Spread 1.5 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Line the dish with overlapping noodles.
• Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, sprinkle with a little Parmesan and shredded mozzarella then top with 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and another layer of noodles.
• Repeat the layering 2 more times. Top with noodles and cover with 1 1/2 cups of sauce (may want to use extra if using uncooked noodles to ensure the noodles are covered and cook evenly. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the lasagna.
• Cover Lasagna with foil and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Uncover then cook for 30-45 minutes more or until the top is golden and crisp around the edges and the filling is bubbling.
• Let the lasagna rest for 20 minutes before serving.