HEARTY ITALIAN EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM GALETTE

I have been chosen as 1 of 30 bloggers to compete in the Wick’s Pies Blogger Recipe Challenge.  You all know that pot pie is one of my signature dishes so I was really excited to be selected for this challenge. The challenge is to create innovative and unique recipes with Wick’s pie crusts in 3 categories – Breakfast, Entree, and Dessert.

 

It’s Italian night in the Gelsomini household and I created an incredible galette (I know, I know… that’s French) filled with a ragu of Japanese eggplant from my garden (I know… that’s Japanese) and mushrooms in slightly spicy red sauce and lots of gooey fresh mozzarella cheese. The crave-able crust has grated parmesan cheese sandwiched between 2 Wick’s 9″ pie crust and is topped with an egg wash and more parmesan on top.  Here’s how I made it:

Note – you can click on any of the photos in the post for a link to the recipe or scroll to the bottom of this post for the whole recipe.  You can also click on the Wick’s logo above for a direct link to their website and shop page.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 chopped onion, 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1 cup chopped fennel bulb, and 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant.

Add 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, 2 cups chopped Japanese eggplant, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4tesaspoon black pepper to the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is soft and the mushrooms have begun to lightly brown.

Add ½ cup dry white wine and cook, stirring, until all of the liquid is absorbed into the veggies.  Add 1 cup spaghetti sauce and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and cook for 2-3 minutes more until most of the sauce is absorbed and the mixture holds together, with no liquid running out, when pulled to one side of the pan.  Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the crust.

Lightly flour your countertop and place 1, 9″ Wick’s dough disk on the counter.   Brush a thin layer of the beaten egg over the top of the crust.  Sprinkle ½ cup of parmesan cheese over top of the egg and lightly press with your hands to adhere.  Top with another 9” dough disk.  Lightly four the top and roll the crusts together with a rolling pin, sandwiching the cheese in the center.  Roll into a disk approximately 14” in diameter.

Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough on it.

Place the eggplant and mushroom mixture in the center of the dough and spread it into a thick, even layer, leaving about 2-3” of crust exposed around the edges.  Lay the ½” thick mozzarella slices evenly on top of the filling.

Fold the exposed dough over the filling and some of the mozzarella slices, creating a rustic crust, leaving a small amount of the filling exposed in the center of the galette.  Liberally brush the crust with the beaten egg and the sprinkle another ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese all over the egg wash.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is lightly browned.  Let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing.  Cut into wedges and top with fresh basil leaves. Serve with more parmesan on the side for sprinkling.  DEVOUR!

 

HEARTY ITALIAN EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM GALETTE

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup fennel bulb, finely chopped

1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped

8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 cups Japanese eggplant, chopped into 1” pieces

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon Italian spice blend

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup spaghetti sauce

1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

2 Wick’s 9” pie crusts

1 egg, beaten

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½” thick slices

¼ cup basil leaves, chiffonade

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions, garlic, fennel, and rosemary to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant.

Add the mushrooms, eggplant, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is soft and the mushrooms have begun to lightly brown.

Add the wine and cook, stirring, until all of the liquid is absorbed into the veggies.  Add the spaghetti sauce and ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese and cook for 2-3 minutes more until most of the sauce is absorbed and the mixture holds together, with no liquid running out, when pulled to one side of the pan.  Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the crust.

Lightly flour your countertop and place one Wick’s dough disk on the counter.   Brush a thin layer of the beaten egg over the top of the crust.  Sprinkle ½ cup of the cheese over top of the egg and lightly press with your hands to adhere.  Top with another 9” dough disk.  Lightly four the top and roll the crusts together with a rolling pin, sandwiching the cheese in the center.  Roll into a disk approximately 14” in diameter.

Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough on it.

Place the eggplant and mushroom mixture in the center of the dough and spread it into a thick, even layer, leaving about 2-3” of crust exposed around the edges.  Lay the mozzarella slices evenly on top of the filling.

Fold the exposed dough over the filling and some of the mozzarella slices, creating a rustic crust, leaving a small amount of the filling exposed in the center of the galette.  Liberally brush the crust with the beaten egg and the sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese all over the egg wash.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is lightly browned.  Let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing.  Cut into wedges and top with fresh basil leaves. Serve with more parmesan on the side for sprinkling.  DEVOUR!