theartfulgourmet.com http://theartfulgourmet.com/recipes/ Recipes | Artful Gourmet Recipes A Recipe Index with links to all the recipes on my site by category and occasion is coming soon! In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy this collection of some of my favorite recipes below. You can also search for recipes in the drop down menu on the right where everything has been organized by category — enjoy and stay tuned for more! Pasta ‘Incaciata (Eggplant and Cheese Timbale) This is a Sicilian specialty called Pasta ‘Incaciata ~ a lovely baked pasta dish made with layered eggplant, stuffed with pasta, peas, ground veal, tomatoes and cheese. The Italian word timballo comes from an Arabic word meaning ‘drum’ – the dish is cooked in a round drumlike vessel which is a springform pan in this case. Basically it’s an eggplant and cheese “cake” that is a delicious one-pot dish perfect for a chilly winter day. 3 medium eggplant Kosher salt 2 tbsp EVOO, plus more as needed 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves 1/4 pound of ground veal 2 cups canned San Marzano tomatoes, pureed Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup frozen peas 4 chicken livers (optional, for extra flavor) 2 tbsp sweet Marsala wine 1 pound penne pasta 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, diced and drained 1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Lightly oil a sheet pan with the olive oil. Brush the slices with oil, season with salt, and place them on the pan and bake until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. Cool and set aside. In a medium saute pan, add the 2 tbsp of oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and basil and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the veal, turn the heat on high and cook until the veal has lost its pink color, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and season with the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook to concentrate the flavors, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 more tbsp of oil over high heat in a small skillet. Add the livers and saute until brown on the outside but still pink within, about 2 minutes. Add the Marsala wine, allow to cook off, cool and chop the livers. Stir in the peas and set aside to keep warm. Oil a 10-inch springform cake pan liberally with the olive oil. Cook the penne in salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. Add the veal sauce, livers, mozzarella and 1 cup of the Romano cheese and mix well. Line the sides and bottom or the springform pan with the eggplant slices, reserving a few for the top. Spoon the pasta into the pan, pour the mixture over the pasta and cover with the remaining eggplant. Push with hands to make a firm “cake”. Bake the timballo on a sheet pan until the cheeses are melted, 35-40 minutes. Cool 45 minutes and invert onto a serving plate leaving the pan in place for 10 minutes. Unmold, sprinkle with the remaining Romano cheese, slice and serve. To reheat, replace the clean springform pan over the top of the dish and warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Recipe from the Institute of Culinary Education, Techniques of Italian Cooking Pumpkin and Onion Tarte Flambée (Flammekeuche) Tarte Flambée is a delicious cross between a super thin crust pizza and a tart, originating in the Alsatian region of France. The German word Flammekeuche literally means “Flame Cake“, in French the term means “pie baked in flames”, due to the dish being cooked in a wood-fired oven. Tarte Flambée is typically made with creme fraiche and fromage blanc (a creamy soft French cow’s milk cheese) and then topped with lardons (pork fat) and onions, and other times made with Gruyere or Muenster cheese or mushrooms. This lovely recipe is made with pumpkin, feta cheese and red onion topped off with some fresh thyme and cracked black pepper. Perfect for warming up a chilly Fall night. Serve with a crisp Alsatian wine such as a Dry Reisling or Gewürztraminer. 1 box of puff pastry or pizza dough (store bought or homemade) 1 small to medium red onion, sliced lengthwise ½ cup of white wine (Alsatian, such as Riesling or Gewurztraminer) 1 tbsp butter 1 small pumpkin, sliced into very thin ribbons (can also use butternut squash) 1 cup of fromage blanc (a French soft white cow’s cheese, see recipe following) 1/3 cup crème fraiche (can substitute sour cream) ¼ tsp ground nutmeg sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup of feta cheese, crumbled extra virgin olive oil fresh thyme Fromage Blanc 3/4 cup ricotta cheese 3 tbsp plain yogurt a pinch of salt Make the Fromage Blanc by blending the ricotta cheese, the yogurt and the salt for 30 seconds in a blender. Put into a covered bowl and chill for at least 12 hours. When ready to make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450 F degrees. Peel and cut the onion into thin length-wise slices. In a bowl, marinate it in the wine for approx. 20 minutes, then drain and pat dry, set aside. Heat a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat. Quarter and seed the pumpkin, then slice into very thin ribbon strips (a mandoline slicer works very well for this). Saute the pumpkin with the sliced onions in butter until they are slightly golden and soft, about 3-5 mins. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche, fromage blanc, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, until smooth. Roll the puff pastry or pizza dough out very thinly on a floured surface and place onto a large greased baking sheet. You can also cut the dough in half and make two smaller pizzas (either round or rectangular shaped is fine). Spread the cream and cheese mixture onto the dough with a spatula, then sprinkle the onions on evenly along with the pumpkin and top with the crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle the oil all over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or more until crispy and bubbly on top. Garnish with fresh thyme and additional freshly ground cracked pepper to taste. Enjoy with a green salad with shaved parmesan and vinaigrette, and a glass of the Alsatian white wine. Makes 1 medium tart, serves 4. Lemon Zucchini Garlic Penne w/ Parm & Toasted Almonds This is a lovely summer pasta dish I created that takes advantage of the seasonal fresh zucchini I had on hand. It has a bright lemony flavor from a wonderful Grapeseed Lemon Pepper infused oil I have by Tavern Direct but you could use extra virgin olive oil as there is lemon peel zest included in the recipe. Paired with roasted garlic chips, toasted almonds and a handful of grated Parmigiana Reggiano – this is a perfect light summer dish that can be enjoyed alone as a Main course or with a side salad with a lemony wine vinaigrette and some crusty bread. You could also top the pasta with some fresh ricotta salata and use whole wheat pasta if you prefer. Either way you make it, its delicious, light and refreshing…Enjoy! Ingredients 1 package of penne rigate 4 garlic cloves, sliced very thin 2 zucchini, sliced in half, each half sliced into thin slices Zest of 2 lemons 1 tsp red pepper flakes A handful of sliced almonds 4 tbsp olive oil or lemon infused grapeseed oil (Tavern Direct brand is excellent) Kosher Salt Pepper Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded or grated Preparation Bring a pot of water to boil adding salt and a dash of olive oil. Meanwhile, sliced garlic and zucchini and heat a large sauté pan over low heat. Saute the garlic chips until they get a golden brown color. Add pasta to boiling water and cook 8 minutes until al dente. Turn up the sauté pan to medium high and add the zucchini, red pepper, salt and pepper and sauté until soft, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add the almonds with a little more olive oil and sauté 1-2 minutes more until they are lightly golden brown and mix through. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and reserve a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Add pasta and the reserved pasta water to the zucchini garlic mixture in the sauté pan and mix through. Sprinkle the pasta with lemon zest, a handful of shredded parmesan cheese, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4. Grilled Shrimp Kabobs and Corn Tomato Salad I love cooking in the summertime. Everything is ripe and fresh picked from the garden. Grills are heating up the neighborhood with scents of charcoal and BBQ smoke. This is a quick and easy dish to make when you have a few fresh items on hand and want to throw it all on the grill and on to the plate. Skewered grilled shrimp marinated in lemon, olive oil, parsley and garlic, cooks in less than 10 minutes. The salad is made with fresh corn, tomatoes, arugula and red onion, for a refreshing lovely side salad to accompany the shrimp. Happy Grilling! Marinade 1/4 cup vinaigrette dressing 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon pepper 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 1 clove fresh garlic, chopped fine 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine salt and pepper 1 lb large shrimp (cleaned, deveined, tails on) Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl and add shrimp.