Italian themed dinner party for 12+. I need some ideas please.

[Slubberdegullion]

yes, yes, yes before you all start I know the mn ponceometer is registering in the yellow zone.

I don't care

Its what I'm doing, and I need some help.

So it's for new years eve (I know probably not allowed to mention that either) but I'm away for most of Dec so need to get planning now.

I have a single oven.

Oh yes, there is a vegetarian.

I am thinking about
starter: big platters of anti-pasta and Italian bread.

main:
Roast lamb
and roasted vegetable lasagna
not sure if they even go together
and what else...a salad?

pudding: other people to bring. Hopefully some home made ice cream and a tiramisu.

God just writing it down, it looks rubbish. Lasagna is soooooooooooooo boring. Poor vegetarians must be given it all the time.

I would like to stick with the roast lamb and go from there.

Help please

ciao franca

Practice parmagiano numero uno just out of the oven. OMG it smells divine.

few questions though (obviously) am I meant to finish with the cheese layer on the top?

And how thick the aubergine slices?

And what temp? I did 170 for 40 mins. everything all bubbling away nicely when it came out.

yes, last layer is mozzarella, another bit of tomato sauce, grated parmesan.
aubergine slices should be as this as you can, cut vertically.
can't remember the oven. as long as it bubbles and looks golden... 180-200 I'd say.
is it nice?

It was v good. but a bit watery. I only salted the aubergines for half an hour, loads of water came out but maybe I should have left them a bit longer.

tescos finest italian passata may also have been a bit on the watery sige. dh had seconds so that is always a good sign.

If you can't get hold of passata Mutti then may I suggest sainsburys organic passata? it is very good. or valfrutta.
how did you fry the aubergines? did you pat the excessive oil away?

If you can't get hold of passata Mutti then may I suggest sainsburys organic passata? it is very good. or valfrutta.
how did you fry the aubergines? did you pat the excessive oil away?

To avoid wateriness you need to make your tomato sauce really thick.

I make it by gently sweating onion, garlic, celery and carrot in some olive oil before adding loads of tinned tomatoes and letting it all simmer for ages. Then I blend it, and then I add sugar/salt/pepper to taste.

Also salt the aubergines for quite a long time. I fry them (in very hot olive oil) till they are quite well browned and crispy as I like my parmigiana to have a smoky taste (I think it compensates for the meatlessness and makes the dish nice and hearty).

I would love to make my own passata, may try and do a load and then freeze it. I'm sure the tesco stuff was too liquidy, it fell out of the bottle like tomato juice.

With the aubergines I sliced lengthways, stuck in colander, salted (and left for 30 mins, will up this next time) then rinsed, dried, fried in the olive oil and put the slices on more kitchen towel. I used a lot of kitchen towel .

Oh yes with the mozzarella do you just lay slices of it in the dish, or do you chop it up small?

I do slices (quite thin though - use a large very sharp knife) of mozzarella.

Hmm. Not sure I'd have complete confidence in Tesco passata myself [food snob emoticon]

I'm a bit of a food snob too, so for the big night I think some home made passata is called for. Last night was just a practice on poor old DH to see if it met with his approval (it did).

LOL.

My partner is normally pretty happy on those nights he gets dinner party trial food . We've recently had two rounds of guinea fowl in a marsala sauce (River Café Easy Two) and it's now completely perfected and yummy .

oooh am trawling this thread for help

For xmas dinner (no in laws or parents - just trendy london brothers and wives and friends) am doing Beef and planning an Italian style menu
Had got as far as some kind of anti pasti
LOL
Deffo the aubergine parmagiana YUM, we have excellent local deli and Waitrose so will trawl their shelves...

Mmmmmm guinea fowl in a marsala sauce

[drooling emoticon]