Pasta al Forno
“This is a nice dish to make ahead of time and you can eat it cold, warm, at midnight — however you wish.”
“This is a nice dish to make ahead of time and you can eat it cold, warm, at midnight — however you wish.”
Yield:
Serves 6-8Ingredients
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise
Olive oil
1/2 pound ground meat (or leftover meat, minced)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
3 to 4 cups tomato sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
2 cups peas
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
3 ounces Genoa salami, thinly sliced and quartered
3 ounces mortadella, if available
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sweet basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 cup grated Parmesan or other cheese
2 raw eggs
Black pepper
Instructions
Soak the eggplant slices in salted water, if desired, for about 20 minutes; rinse and pat dry. Fry in olive oil until golden. Brown the meat in olive oil along with chopped onion and half the oregano. In a deep dish, spread some tomato sauce (recipe follows) in the bottom and begin layering the ingredients, using about half of each: spaghetti, meat, peas, hard-boiled eggs, salami, mortadella, mozzarella cheese, eggplant, basil, grated cheese. Repeat sauce and other ingredients, ending with eggplant. Beat the 2 raw eggs with 1 tablespoon water and pour over the whole works, using a fork to pierce the layers gently and let the egg flow in. Sprinkle with more grated cheese, oregano, and black pepper. Bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees F. Cut into squares or wedges to serve. Can be served hot or cold.
Tomato Sauce:
Ingredients
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 cans (1 pound each) whole tomatoes, or use fresh if available
2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1 large onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
Combine all ingredients and simmer for 2 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally. All ingredients are subject to your own liking.
