Recipe: Grandma Galasso's Eggplant Pyramids (baked with zucchini, tomato and cheese)

GRANDMA GALASSO'S EGGPLANT PYRAMIDS
(PIRAMIDI DI MELANZANE ALLA NONNA GALASSO)

"It would be fair to say that eggplant plays a large role in Neapolitan cuisine. As a child I loathed having to eat it in the many ways that my Nonna Galasso cooked it. She would probably clap her hands if she could see how much I utilize it today and how much I have grown to like it! I make this quick antipasto when my garden is bursting with royal-purple eggplant, redder-than-red tomatoes, and forest-green zucchini. The combination is delightful in this stackable antipasto. The idea is to make each layer of vegetables progressively smaller, like a pyramid."

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-size eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick round slices
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch-thick round slices
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 small plum tomatoes, cut into thin round slices
Salt
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven the 375 degrees F.

Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Arrange the eggplant slices in rows on the sheet. Brush the slices lightly with olive oil. Top each slice with a zucchini round and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle the oregano over the tops of the zucchini. Place a tomato slice over each zucchini round and brush the top with olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt over the top of each tomato.

Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has just melted. Serve hot.

Variation: Use the broiler to melt the cheese-topped rounds instead of baking them.

Makes 6-8 servings
Source: Ciao Italia: Bringing Italy Home by Mary Ann Esposito