Eggplant “Lasagna

The noodles here are the eggplant.

Ingredients:

3 Italian eggplants, sliced and salted

1 lb. ground beef

Marinara sauce

Prosciutto

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Grill the eggplant slices and set aside.

Brown the beef. Add seasonings. Add the marinara sauce.

Butter a casserole dish.

Cover the bottom with a layer of eggplant.

Put a single layer of prosciutto over the eggplant.

Cover with the meat mixture.

Cover with mozzarella cheese.

Finish off with another layer of eggplant.

Sprinkle some more mozzarella cheese on top. Add some parmesan cheese.

Place it in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese begins to turn golden.

 

Zucchini Parmigiana

Anything parmigiana is great in my book!

Ingredients:

3 zucchini, cut into long slices 1/4″ thick

1 cup Marinara sauce

Fresh basil leaves

Grated Italian cheeses

Prosciutto slices

Directions:

Preheat the oven to convection 350..

Place the cut zucchini slices in some cold salted water for about 20 minutes.

Drizzle some olive oil on the zucchini slices and grill until cooked.

Place some marinara sauce at the bottom of a casserole dish.

Place a layer of the zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish.

Spread some more marinara sauce. Add a few basil leaves. Add some prosciutto slices. Top with cheese.

Repeat the layers and end with the cheese on top.

Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until it starts to brown.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Anything with prosciutto inspires me!

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, butterflied

1 T. minced parsley

1 T. minced rosemary

2 cloves garlic, minced

Prosciutto slices

White wine

Arugula

1 tomato, seeded and peeled and chopped

Lemon juice

Thyme sprigs

Directions:

Mix together parsley, rosemary, and garlic in a bowl. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Spread the herb mixture evenly over one side of the breasts.

Top with prosciutto slices.

Roll up and secure with pins.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning often to brown it well.

Add a splash of white wine and reduce.

Remove to plate and keep warm.

In the same pan, add some minced garlic. Saute until golden. Add the arugula and cook until wilted.

In the meantime, combine the tomato with the lemon juice and salt.

Plate the arugula. Slice the chicken breasts into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices on top of the arugula. Top with the tomatoes and drizzle any pan drippings over everything.

 

Saltimbocca alla Romana

I have always been a fan of saltimbocca – it’s my go to favorite dish whenever I go out to a good Italian restaurant. And it’s very easy to make!

Ingredients:

4 veal cutlets

4 slices of prosciutto

Sage leaves

1/4 cup white wine

Butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

Parsley

Directions:

Make sure the veal cutlets are thin – if not, pound them a bit to make them about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick.

Place one or 2 sage leaves over the cutlets. Place a slice of prosciutto on top of the sage leaves. Secure the prosciutto to the cutlets with some metal cooking pins.

Melt about 2 T. of butter in a large frying pan. Wait for it to brown and stop bubbling.

Place the veal cutlets, prosciutto side up, in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes.

Turn the cutlets over and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce it a bit.

Remove the cutlets to a dish. Add a little broth to the pan and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom. Add the parsley, salt and pepper, and cook slightly.

Spoon the sauce over the veal cutlets and serve.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Thighs

Anything with prosciutto, in my opinion, is delicious! And this was no exception!

Ingredients:

5 boneless chicken thighs

5 slices prosciutto

Fresh sage

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Chop up most of the sage, leaving out 5 whole leaves.

Add the chopped sage and garlic to the olive oil.

Season the chicken thighs with pepper and then run them through the olive oil/garlic/sage mixture.

Lay each one out on a cutting board on top of a slice of prosciutto. Place a sage leaf in the center. Roll them up and secure them with a toothpick.

Heat very little olive oil in a pan. Add the chicken rolls and brown them on all sides. Reduce the heat and cover them, until the chicken is cooked through. Turn them occasionally so that they evenly brown on all sides.

Chicken Saltimbocca!

This is probably one of my all-time favorite meals, and its name is perfect! Saltimbocca in Italian means “jump into the mouth!”

Ingredients:

Thinly sliced chicken breasts

Prosciutto

Fresh sage

White wine

Flour for dredging

Seasonings – I use pepper and garlic powder

Directions:

Dredge the chicken breasts lightly with the flour.

Lay a slice of prosciutto on top.

Lay a large leaf of sage on top of that.

Secure the layers with a toothpick or similar.

Heat some olive oil in a pan. Brown the chicken breasts, prosciutto side up, until they are golden.

Turn them over and add the seasonings with a splash of white wine. Cook until the prosciutto is starting to crisp up and the chicken is cooked. (I usually cover the pan so that the chicken breasts don’t dry up.)

Serve them on a pretty place and pour some of the pan drippings on top!