Prosciutto and Eggplant Calzone

From: Guy Fieri

· 1 package fresh pizza dough, single pizza size
· 1/4 pound prosciutto, small dice
· 1-2 eggplant, skin-on, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
· 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
· 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for seasoning
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 4 garlic cloves, minced
· 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
· 1 large tomato, chopped
· 1/2 cup ricotta, drained
· 2 large eggs
· 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
· 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
· 2 teaspoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
· 1 teaspoon chopped basil leaves
· 1 teaspoon dried oregano
· 1/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
· 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for work surface
· 1/4 cup cornmeal, for peel
· 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/2-inch thick
· Pizza stone preheated in oven

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Put a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven to preheat. In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, add the prosciutto and cook until crisp. Set aside. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the pan over medium heat and saute the eggplant for 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Saute 2 to 3 minutes more, careful not to burn the garlic. Add in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sauce reduce until all the extra liquid is gone, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Combine the ricotta, 1 egg, the Parmesan, pine nuts, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper, the parsley and the basil. Gently combine the ricotta mixture with the eggplant. In a small bowl add the remaining egg and 1 teaspoon water and beat well. Knead the dough a few times on a floured surface and add in the dried oregano and rosemary. Cut the dough in half and roll 1 piece into an oval about 12 to 14 inches long and 8 inches wide. Put the dough on a peel sprinkled with cornmeal and add half of the ricotta/eggplant mixture half way down the oval, leaving 2 inches on each side. Top with 3 slices of the mozzarella and sprinkle with half of the prosciutto. Fold the dough over and roll the edge closed. Brush with the egg wash, sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and slide off the peel onto the hot pizza stone. Repeat with the other half of the dough and ingredients. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, serve hot!

Lazy Human Eggplant Parmesan

• Slice your eggplants on a diagonal to make some big ¾ inch slices.

• Fill a small frying pan or wok with vegetable oil (maybe some olive oil for flavor) so that it is about ¾ inch deep. Heat the oil on medium heat.

• Use a basting brush (or whatever) to coat the slices with raw egg and drop them into

Italian-style breadcrumbs. Make sure the crumbs stick all over and drop them in the hot

oil. They cook fast. Give them a flip after a couple of minutes.

• After another couple of minutes, remove the slices carefully and put them on an

absorbent material to dry off (paper bags work).

• Repeat until you run out of eggplant. Serve over pasta with your favorite marinara sauce and some Parmesan cheese.

P.S. I recommend using the wok if you don’t have a grease screen to cover the pan because the sides will catch most of the splatters.
Source: Mike Towle