Recipe: Tony Angello's Eggplant Lasagna (Eggplant Tina) - copycat recipe

EGGPLANT LASAGNA (EGGPLANT TINA)

"This is my version of the terrific dish called eggplant Tina at Tony Angello's restaurant in New Orleans' Lakeview neighborhood. This is one of the best-loved dishes in that restaurant, served to something like three-quarters of the customers every night. It's essentially a lasagna made with eggplant in the place of pasta, and a great deal of Romano cheese. The sweetness of Mr. Tony's sauce balances the bitterness of the eggplant. The restaurant's recipe is secret, but I think you'll like what this makes."

SAUCE:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 (28 oz.) can Italian plum tomatoes, whole
1/4 tsp. salt

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 large eggplant (or two small ones)
8 oz. ricotta cheese, crumbled
12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
12 leaves fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
4 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded
2 cups grated Pecorino Romano

1. Make the sauce first. Drain the tomatoes (reserve the juice) and put them into a food processor; chop to a rough puree. (You can also do this with your fingers in a bowl.)

2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat till the oil shimmers. Saute the garlic and crushed red pepper for about a minute--until you can smell the garlic.

3. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the reserved juice, basil, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about twenty minutes, uncovered. Then keep on the lowest possible heat while you continue with the rest of the recipe. You will get a sweeter sauce if you simmer the sauce for about two hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 Tbs. salt and 1 Tbs. olive oil.

5. While waiting for the water to boil, peel the eggplants (don't worry about just getting the peel; cut in about a half inch deep). Cut the eggplant in half from end to end. Slice the eggplant about a quarter-inch thick, end to end. Drop the eggplant into the boiling water and remove after two minutes. Allow it to drain in a colander.

6. Coat the inside of a glass or ceramic baking dish (about 9" x 13" x 3") generously with olive oil. Cover the bottom with eggplant slices, cutting them to fit the baking dish.

Spread out the following in layers, repeating twice, to make three layers:

Eggplant slices (at bottom).
1/3 cup sauce.
About a third of the ricotta.
1/2 cup Romano cheese.
About a third of the parsley and basil.
Eggplant.

Finish with a lighter topping of sauce, the Fontina cheese and the remaining Romano.

7. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake in the center of the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven until a light crust has formed on the top.

8. After removing from the oven, let the casserole rest for at least 15 minutes before attempting to slice. Serve with a wide metal spatula to keep it together (almost impossible to do with the first slice).

Serves six to eight entrees or twelve side dishes.
Source: Recipe from A Past Edition Of The New Orleans Menu Daily By Tom Fitzmorris