Eggplant and Three Cheese Calzone
Jul 05, 2013 in dough, italian, main dishes, pizza, sauce. Read the original on: Simple Gourmet Cooking
I celebrated my birthday back in May and was really fortunate to receive lots of things for the kitchen. Â I finally have a tart pan and I also received a few cookbooks-one of them being The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I've wanted it for awhile, so I was really excited to start using it. Â This recipe for a calzone caught my eye right away-I'm always looking for ways to change up pizza toppings and calzone fillings and this sounded delicious. Â I also couldn't wait to try a new recipe for pizza sauce.
This recipe ended up living up to my expectations-the calzone filling was fabulous and the sauce has now become my new go-to pizza sauce-it was just slightly sweet and really complimented the calzone without overpowering.
I used my new favorite pizza dough recipe and added some basil to the sauce, but other than that just about kept everything the same as Deb's recipe. Â I think the calzone filling would also make an excellent topping for a pizza!
Eggplant and Three Cheese Calzone
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium (¾ pound) eggplant, sliced ¼ to ½ inch thick
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 recipe pizza dough
1 cup ricotta
1 cup grated mozzarella
â…“ cup grated Parmesan
Dried oregano
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
A handful of snipped fresh basil leaves
Quick sauce:
1 cup strained tomatoes
pinch to ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Red pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar
Few drops of red wine vinegar
Basil, dried or fresh, to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet aluminum foil. Coat with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant slices in one layer; season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast eggplant for 20 minutes, flip, then roast for another 10 minutes. Let the eggplant cool slightly. Leave oven on.
Meanwhile, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Mix together ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then season the cheese with ½ teaspoon table salt, a pinch of dried oregano (or more to taste), and freshly ground black pepper. Stir the eggplant into the cheese mixture, and then pile it down the center of the dough. Pull the sides of the dough over the center, pressing and crimping a seam down the middle. Brush the outside of calzone with egg wash.
Bake the calzone for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden all over.
While the calzone bakes, heat the tomatoes, salt, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small saucepan until simmering. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add a pinch of sugar and few drops of red wine vinegar to taste and simmer for one minute more. Â Stir in freshly chopped basil or dried basil to taste. Simmer for an additional minute. Pour into a small dish or allow to continue to simmer of low heat if you aren't in a hurry.
When calzone is finished baking, slide it onto a serving dish and slice into large sections. Garnish with snipped basil and serve with sauce on the side.
1 medium (¾ pound) eggplant, sliced ¼ to ½ inch thick
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 recipe pizza dough
1 cup ricotta
1 cup grated mozzarella
â…“ cup grated Parmesan
Dried oregano
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
A handful of snipped fresh basil leaves
Quick sauce:
1 cup strained tomatoes
pinch to ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Red pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar
Few drops of red wine vinegar
Basil, dried or fresh, to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet aluminum foil. Coat with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant slices in one layer; season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast eggplant for 20 minutes, flip, then roast for another 10 minutes. Let the eggplant cool slightly. Leave oven on.
Meanwhile, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Mix together ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then season the cheese with ½ teaspoon table salt, a pinch of dried oregano (or more to taste), and freshly ground black pepper. Stir the eggplant into the cheese mixture, and then pile it down the center of the dough. Pull the sides of the dough over the center, pressing and crimping a seam down the middle. Brush the outside of calzone with egg wash.
Bake the calzone for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden all over.
While the calzone bakes, heat the tomatoes, salt, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small saucepan until simmering. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add a pinch of sugar and few drops of red wine vinegar to taste and simmer for one minute more. Â Stir in freshly chopped basil or dried basil to taste. Simmer for an additional minute. Pour into a small dish or allow to continue to simmer of low heat if you aren't in a hurry.
When calzone is finished baking, slide it onto a serving dish and slice into large sections. Garnish with snipped basil and serve with sauce on the side.
Read the original on: Simple Gourmet Cooking
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