Lasagnette of Eggplant and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

• Thick Tomato Sauce
• 3 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups diced (1/4 inch) red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 cups diced (1/4 inch) red onion
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can (28 oz.) Progresso® Italian-style whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher (coarse) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Lasagnette
• 2 unpeeled eggplants (about 2 1/2 lb. total)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher (coarse) salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil or peanut oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1/2 lb. chabis (fresh goat cheese)
• 3 tablespoons Progresso® Parmesan bread crumbs

Directions

1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chicken broth to boiling over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes until reduced by half.
2. Meanwhile, in 3-quart heavy saucepan, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers; cook about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until peppers begin to brown. Stir in garlic; cook about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in onion; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown. Stir in tomato paste.
3. Stir in tomatoes (with juice), chicken broth and bay leaf; break up tomatoes with spoon. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Stir in butter, oregano, basil, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Remove bay leaf. Keep warm over low heat.
4. Cut unpeeled eggplants lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; let stand 20 minutes, then rinse and dry.
5. In shallow medium bowl, mix flour and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot. Coat eggplant slices in flour, shaking off excess. Add eggplant in batches to oil in skillet; cook about 2 minutes, turning once, until browned (add more oil as needed). Drain on paper towels.
6. Heat oven to 375°F. In bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, spread thin layer of tomato sauce. Arrange layer of eggplant in dish to cover bottom completely; spread with another layer of sauce. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of the parsley; dot with 1/3 of the chabis cheese. Repeat layering twice, beginning with eggplant and ending with chabis. Do not press down on layers. Top with remaining eggplant and another thin layer of sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan (about 2 tablespoons), remaining parsley (about 1 tablespoon) and the bread crumbs. (At this point, the dish can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day; return to room temperature before baking, or add another 10 minutes to bake time if baking straight from refrigerator.)
7. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until browned and bubbling (do not overbrown). Let stand a few minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Submitted 9/19/06.
Source: Progresso Foods
Submitted By: b smith

Lasagnette of Eggplant and Goat Cheese