It’s holiday time again, and time for vegetarians to decide on a centerpiece main dish for those special meals. I’ve been teaching classes on the topic of “Vegetarian Main Dishes,” and “Vegetarian Holidays” for many years, and I think I have a few things figured out.

The special meal is not a time for stir fry or something ladled over rice. No, the special meal is one where you want to have everyone else look at your plate with longing. You deserve beautiful food that stands alone, like a savory pastry, a timbale, or this fab sformato.

I actually developed this recipe years ago for a class I was teaching with my friend Michael Rostance, a prominent local chef and authority on Italian food. I had to bring my A-game. My course was the sole veg-friendly item on a menu with pork, and I wanted it to wow them. I spent hours poring over Italian cookbooks, and pondering the elements that were needed for a really impressive veg main course.

The Sformata went over well that day-even the folks who were really there for Michael and his Ligurian porchetta loved it. For many years since, I’ve made it in vegetarian classes, for catered parties, and special meals, always tweaking it a bit. The version you see here is the result of all that experimentation and feedback.

So, here it is. A great, solid main course that looks good on the plate, slices well for a neat presentation, and that can be made ahead. It can sit in the fridge for a couple of days, well wrapped, and freezes beautifully. To thaw, let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple of days to give it time to fully de-frost. Reheat gently in a 350 oven.

Like all the dishes in New Vegetarian, this will go over just as well with the meat-lovers as the vegs, so make sure you save a slice for the guest who is going meatless. You can feel good about showing the rest of them a fun way to enjoy eggplant!

Grilled Vegetable Sformato

This layered sformato is pretty and filling enough to be a centerpiece main dish. It can be made a day ahead and reheated, or made a few weeks ahead and frozen, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven at 350°F.

Serves 8

3 large yellow bell peppers, or jarred roasted yellow peppers
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large eggplants, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups ricotta cheese
6 ounces Romano cheese, shredded
4 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups whole wheat penne, cooked
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
Basil leaves

1. Preheat the broiler or barbecue grill and roast the bell peppers until skins are blackened. Place them in a small airtight container and close tightly to steam for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel, dice, and drain the peppers in a mesh colander, pressing out excess moisture. (If using jarred peppers, drain, rinse, and chop them.)

2. Brush an 11-inch springform pan with some of the olive oil, then set aside. Heat a grill pan or use the grill. Brush the eggplant with olive oil. Grill the slices until tender and decorated with black grill marks (running lengthwise), 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Put a small slice in the center of the springform pan. Lay slices in a fan or flower design covering the bottom and sides and leaving an inch or so hanging over the edges to wrap around the top of the filled pan.

3. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Remove half of the mixture to another bowl. Use a food processor to finely grind the basil, garlic, and pistachios, then mix it with half of the cheese mixture. Dice the tomatoes and add it to the other half of the cheese mixture, then mix in the cayenne. Divide the cooked pasta between the two bowls and fold the contents of each bowl together gently.

4. Preheat the oven to 400F°. Into the eggplant-lined pan, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs and distribute the pasta and tomato mixture. Level the surface and top with the yellow bell peppers and another 2 tablespoons crumbs. Top with the remaining pasta mixture, level, and cover with the remaining crumbs. Fold the overhanging eggplant back onto the top of the peppers.

5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes and let stand for 20 minutes before serving to firm up. Run a sharp knife around edge of pan. Invert the pan onto a serving plate and release springform, carefully removing bottom. Garnish with the basil and serve.

Robin Asbell
Author of New Vegetarian and The New Whole Grains Cookbook

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