Lasagna con malanzane (lasagna w/eggplant)

8 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Coarse Grained Salt
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
8 tablespoons Sweet Butter
½ cup All-Purpose Flour
4 cups Milk
Salt
Black Pepper, Ground
4 pounds SMALL Eggplants, With Seeds Removed
Coarse Grained Salt
2½ pounds Tomatoes (Drained)
4 tablespoons Capers in Wine Vinegar, Drained
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Salt
Black Pepper, Ground
½ cup Bread Crumbs

Directions

THE BALSAMELLA

THE STUFFING

Prepare the balsamella first: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the flour all at once but only after the butter has started to froth. Mix very well (use a wooden spoon). Cook until the flour is completely incorporated (1-3 minutes), crushing any lumps which might form against the side of the pan with the wooden spoon. Remove the pan from the heat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Heat the milk almost to boiling in another saucepan. Return the saucepan with the butter & flour mixture to LOW heat.

Add the hot milk all at once. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Add the salt once the sauce reaches the boiling point.. Continue cooking, stirring gently, for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a crockery bowl. Place a piece of buttered wax paper over the top of the sauce (in contact with it) to prevent a "skin" from forming. Let cool completely. Do not peel the eggplants. Cut lengthwise into ⅜" thick slices. Sprinkle with coarse grained salt. Place the salted slices in a dish. Cover with another dish to weight them. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Pass the tomatoes through a food mill into a crockery bowl. Season with oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Wash the capers in cold water. Chop finely. Add them to the tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly.

Rinse off the eggplants with cold water. Dry with paper towels. Preheat the oil in the deep fryer. Prepare a serving dish by lining it with paper towels. Deep fry the eggplant slices, a few at a time, until they are golden brown. Drain in the prepared serving dish. Cook the lasagna according to package directions. Drain. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Once all the eggplant has been fried, sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand until cool (about 20 minutes). Butter a baking dish. Place a layer of pasta squares on the bottom of the dish, allowing about 1" to hang over the edges (this layer of pasta only). Pour ⅓ of the balsamella over. Add a layer of eggplant slices. Pour ⅓ of the tomato sauce over. Repeat with additional layers of pasta (with balsamella over) and eggplant slices (with tomato sauce over). Top with a thin layer of bread crumbs. Fold over the hanging edges of the pasta. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Serve by slicing with a knife and using a spatula to lift from the baking pan.

Posted to EAT-L Digest 09 Oct 96 From: Joel Ehrlich <Joel.Ehrlich@...> Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 12:40:50 -0800

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