Eggplant Caponata Bruschetta

I made a caponata of sorts a few weeks back using the small purple brinjals (Indian eggplants) that I’d purchased from the store.

Caponata is a Sicilian dish made from eggplants, tomatoes, olives, celery and capers, cooked in olive oil and flavored with vinegar and sugar. It is basically a sweet and sour cooked vegetable stew that is traditionally served as an appetizer with crackers or is accompanied by fresh crusty Italian bread.

Having made these bruschettas just the day before, I had Italian bread and mozzarella cheese left over. I decided to go for eggplant caponata bruschettas this time. I just toasted a few slices of the Italian bread and topped it with some mozzarella cheese and the caponata mixture.
Here are my ingredients for this recipe, listed in the order in which they’ve been used.

For the caponata:
(Adapted from Giada DiLaurentiis’ recipe)
Ingredients:
2 –3 Tbsp olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ large onion, sliced
5-7 yellow peppers, chopped (I used Vlasic pepper rings along with a little bit of the liquid that the peppers came in)
5-6 small Indian brinjals or 1 large eggplant, cubed
1 tsp oregano
Salt
Pepper
2 tsp sugar
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Method:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, sliced onions and sauté. Add the chopped pepper rings followed by the eggplant cubes and cook until they soften. Add oregano and season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and sugar. Mix well. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often.

For the bruschetta:
Ingredients:
A loaf of Italian bread, sliced 1-inch thick
Fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 garlic clove
Salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
On a baking sheet lined with foil, line up the bread slices. Toast in oven for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the garlic clove on each slice and then place a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle a little salt on each slice. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of eggplant caponata on each piece. Serve warm.

Tomato, Mozzarella And Basil Bruschetta

Bruschetta is grilled bread seasoned with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese; the most popular American recipe involves basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomato. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer. This dish is popular all over the world, although it originated in Italy.
(Source: Wikipedia)

I had a few of these for breakfast the other day. As with most things Italian that I make, this one too is a recipe from my favorite Food Network chef, Giada De Laurentiis’ kitchen.

Ingredients:
1 tomato, chopped
A good handful of fresh basil
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
A loaf of Italian bread, sliced 1-inch thick
Fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, add chopped tomato pieces, basil leaves, 1 garlic clove and olive oil. Pulse a couple of times to get a coarse, but somewhat chunky mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, line up bread slices. Toast in oven for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the garlic clove on each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle a little salt on each slice. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece. Serve warm.

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato And Bread Soup)

Pappa al Pomodoro is a thick and hearty tomato based Tuscan soup, thickened with bread. It makes use of the simplest of ingredients- tomatoes, bread, garlic and olive oil- yet it’s so rich and full of flavor. This is easily one of the most delicious soups I’ve tasted in a long time.

I only wish I’d had fresh basil while making the soup as it would have taken the flavors to a whole new level, but it was not too bad even without basil leaves. I did not want to use the dried basil that I had for this recipe.

This soup is the outcome of the recipes I saw here here and here, and is a great way to use up leftover bread.

Ingredients:
(For 3-4 servings)
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (mine also had basil, garlic and oregano)
½ onion, sliced
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 cups stale bread, cut into cubes (I used the Italian bread that I had)
4 tbsp olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
3 cups water or as required

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the cherry tomatoes (no need to halve these), the sliced onions and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet lined with foil. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well to coat the vegetables. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until vegetables are soft and caramelized.

In a large saucepan, add the can of diced tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes and then add the roasted vegetables to it. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and then simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with foil. I used the same baking sheet from above, just replaced the foil. Toss the bread cubes around in 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast for 15-20 minutes at 250 degrees F.

Toss the toasted bread cubes into the soup and mix well. The bread absorbs all the liquid in the soup as it cooks. Add the rest of the water. Mix well and continue to cook for some more time. Adjust the seasoning as required and keep checking and stirring the soup every now and then.

I did not like having large pieces of tomatoes in my soup, so I used my immersion blender and pureed everything just a little bit. Simmer on low-medium heat for another 5-10 minutes till the soup develops a texture similar to that of a thick and creamy porridge. Add more water or stock, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

The soup tastes even better the next day but it becomes very thick, so you would need to add some water or stock (I used milk) to thin it out. Also adjust the salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes and serve.

This soup is my entry for No Croutons Required: The Birthday Edition, hosted this month by Holler who is celebrating her birthday the entire month.
Here’s a predominantly Italian menu to go with the soup.
Parmesan Popovers
Parmesan cups with mango salsa
Potato gratin
Cannellini beans with cheese and basil
Ricotta and Nutella phyllo shells

Happy Birthday, Holler!

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

I’m not quite sure if this one’s a soup or a pasta dish. All I know is that it made for a very delicious and satisfying meal. It’s great on a cold (or any other) day and works for lunch or dinner.
I found the recipe here and came up with this after tweaking the original a bit.

Ingredients:
(For approximately 3 servings)
¾ cup of any kind of small pasta (I used pipette), cooked till almost al dente

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ can of stewed tomatoes (the one I used had small amounts of onion, celery & green pepper too)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ onion, finely chopped
¾ tsp dried rosemary
Red pepper flakes
Pepper
Salt
Olive oil
1-2 cups water (I used the pasta water)

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and crushed garlic followed by salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and crushed rosemary. Cook until the onions turn soft and translucent.

Add the canned tomatoes, breaking up the large pieces with the back of a big spoon.

Add half the chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes. Blend everything in the saucepan together. Add some water if it’s too thick. I used my handheld immersion blender here but a regular blender is fine too- it’s just that it’s a pain to have to wait for the whole thing to cool a bit, then transfer to the blender and then back again to the saucepan.

Simmer, stirring occasionally. The pureed chickpeas give the soup a very thick and creamy texture. Add the remaining chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as required.

Add the cooked pasta and cook for a minute or two for all the flavors to come together. The longer the soup sits, the thicker it gets. Serve hot.

I’m sending this across to Vaishali for It’s A Vegan World: Italian.

This also goes to Susan for the eighth edition of My Legume Love Affair.

Buon appetito!

>Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

>

I’m not quite sure if this one’s a soup or a pasta dish. All I know is that it made for a very delicious and satisfying meal. It’s great on a cold (or any other) day and works for lunch or dinner.
I found the recipe here and came up with this after tweaking the original a bit.

Ingredients:
(For approximately 3 servings)
¾ cup of any kind of small pasta (I used pipette), cooked till almost al dente

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ can of stewed tomatoes (the one I used had small amounts of onion, celery & green pepper too)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ onion, finely chopped
¾ tsp dried rosemary
Red pepper flakes
Pepper
Salt
Olive oil
1-2 cups water (I used the pasta water)

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and crushed garlic followed by salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and crushed rosemary. Cook until the onions turn soft and translucent.

Add the canned tomatoes, breaking up the large pieces with the back of a big spoon.

Add half the chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes. Blend everything in the saucepan together. Add some water if it’s too thick. I used my handheld immersion blender here but a regular blender is fine too- it’s just that it’s a pain to have to wait for the whole thing to cool a bit, then transfer to the blender and then back again to the saucepan.

Simmer, stirring occasionally. The pureed chickpeas give the soup a very thick and creamy texture. Add the remaining chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as required.

Add the cooked pasta and cook for a minute or two for all the flavors to come together. The longer the soup sits, the thicker it gets. Serve hot.

I’m sending this across to Vaishali for It’s A Vegan World: Italian.

This also goes to Susan for the eighth edition of My Legume Love Affair.

Buon appetito!

Chocolate Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce

This is one of the numerous posts that has been languishing in my drafts folder for months now. Blogging is beginning to seem like “work” these days!

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. An Italian phrase which literally means “cooked cream”, it generally refers to a creamy, set dessert from the Northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is eaten all over Italy where it is served with wild berries, caramel or chocolate sauce. (Source: Wikipedia)


Recipe source: Williams-Sonoma

For the chocolate panna cotta:
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups heavy cream
1 packet/envelope plain gelatin( Strict vegetarians, please use whatever substitutes you have available.)
2 Tbsp Mascarpone cheese
3 Tbsp sugar
A pinch of salt
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Fresh strawberry sauce, recipe follows

Method:
Coat four small ramekins or custard cups lightly with flavorless oil. I used small steel tumblers.

Pour about ¼ cup of the cream into a small microwave safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over it and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Microwave for a minute or so and mix well until the gelatin has dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the remaining cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar and salt just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Add the gelatin mixture to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins and let cool to room temperature.

Cover the panna cotta loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

To serve, dip the ramekins one at a time into a bowl of hot water for about 20-30 seconds to loosen the custard, and then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a chilled serving plate. Serve the panna cotta with the strawberry sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with toasted walnuts. Serves 4.

For the strawberry sauce:
Ingredients:
8-10 strawberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar

Method:
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan, warm on low-medium heat till the sugar melts and the strawberries get mushy. Cool and blend well to get a sauce-like consistency. Strain if you must.

Serve over chocolate panna cotta.

Chocolate Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce

This is one of the numerous posts that has been languishing in my drafts folder for months now. Blogging is beginning to seem like “work” these days!

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. An Italian phrase which literally means “cooked cream”, it generally refers to a creamy, set dessert from the Northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is eaten all over Italy where it is served with wild berries, caramel or chocolate sauce. (Source: Wikipedia)


Recipe source: Williams-Sonoma

For the chocolate panna cotta:
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups heavy cream
1 packet/envelope plain gelatin( Strict vegetarians, please use whatever substitutes you have available.)
2 Tbsp Mascarpone cheese
3 Tbsp sugar
A pinch of salt
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Fresh strawberry sauce, recipe follows

Method:
Coat four small ramekins or custard cups lightly with flavorless oil. I used small steel tumblers.

Pour about ¼ cup of the cream into a small microwave safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over it and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Microwave for a minute or so and mix well until the gelatin has dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the remaining cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar and salt just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Add the gelatin mixture to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins and let cool to room temperature.

Cover the panna cotta loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

To serve, dip the ramekins one at a time into a bowl of hot water for about 20-30 seconds to loosen the custard, and then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a chilled serving plate. Serve the panna cotta with the strawberry sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with toasted walnuts. Serves 4.

For the strawberry sauce:
Ingredients:
8-10 strawberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar

Method:
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan, warm on low-medium heat till the sugar melts and the strawberries get mushy. Cool and blend well to get a sauce-like consistency. Strain if you must.

Serve over chocolate panna cotta.

Tortelloni in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Tortelloni are stuffed pasta prepared by shaping the pasta dough into a circle or a square, and then stuffing it with a filling that is usually made up of ricotta cheese, herbs and leafy vegetables such as spinach. They are usually served either with ragù or with a simple sauce made of melted butter and sage leaves.

As usual, I took the easy way out and made use of the store-bought ones. For those of you interested, this post explains how to make tortelloni from scratch.

This is how I made it.


Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
A pack of tortelloni (I used 8.8 oz. of ricotta & spinach tortelloni)
2- 3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 shallots, chopped finely
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (adjust according to requirement/tolerance)
2 tsp of adobo sauce
2 Tbsp ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Lemon juice

Method:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the tortelloni, and cook according to the package instructions. Drain well after reserving a cup of the pasta water and return to the pot.

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and the chipotle pepper along with the sauce. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.

Add the ricotta cheese to the pan and mix well to make a creamy tomato sauce.

Add the sauce to the cooked tortelloni . Toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce if required.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the tortelloni and garnish with chives. Serve hot.

This goes to Kevin @ Closet Cooking who is guest hosting Ruth’s Presto Pasta Night this week.

I’m also sending this to Archana @ Archana’s Kitchen for her “One Dish Meal” event.

Tortelloni in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Tortelloni are stuffed pasta prepared by shaping the pasta dough into a circle or a square, and then stuffing it with a filling that is usually made up of ricotta cheese, herbs and leafy vegetables such as spinach. They are usually served either with ragù or with a simple sauce made of melted butter and sage leaves.

As usual, I took the easy way out and made use of the store-bought ones. For those of you interested, this post explains how to make tortelloni from scratch.

This is how I made it.


Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
A pack of tortelloni (I used 8.8 oz. of ricotta & spinach tortelloni)
2- 3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 shallots, chopped finely
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (adjust according to requirement/tolerance)
2 tsp of adobo sauce
2 Tbsp ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Lemon juice

Method:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the tortelloni, and cook according to the package instructions. Drain well after reserving a cup of the pasta water and return to the pot.

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and the chipotle pepper along with the sauce. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.

Add the ricotta cheese to the pan and mix well to make a creamy tomato sauce.

Add the sauce to the cooked tortelloni . Toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce if required.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the tortelloni and garnish with chives. Serve hot.

This goes to Kevin @ Closet Cooking who is guest hosting Ruth’s Presto Pasta Night this week.

I’m also sending this to Archana @ Archana’s Kitchen for her “One Dish Meal” event.

A Simple Pasta Dish

I watched Giada make this pasta dish a few weeks ago on one of my favorite Food Network shows. I was home alone then and terribly hungry, and needed to fix a quick meal for myself. This was just perfect! It was incredibly easy and the recipe called for the simplest of ingredients- tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese- ingredients that I almost always have on hand.

Ingredients:
1½ cups uncooked pasta (I only had rigatoni in my pantry.)
4 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 small tomatoes, cubed
3-4 basil leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Method:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the package instructions or until al dente. Drain well after reserving a cup of the pasta water and return to the pot.

In a pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.

Transfer the tomato sauce to the pot with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and shredded mozzarella. Mix well. Add the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce. Serve.

It is amazing how these few, simple ingredients come together so well to produce a dish that is bursting with flavors. This recipe is definitely a keeper!


Other pasta recipes here:
Pinwheel Pasta in a Roasted Vegetable Sauce
Simple Pasta Salad
Pasta with Basil Pesto
Pasta with roasted Bell Pepper-Cherry Tomato sauce
Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter

Ruth, this simple dish is my contribution to Presto Pasta Night.