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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Veal Parmesan. I can die happy.

I've always been an Italian food fan... So much that I rarely eat Italian food out anymore. There's almost never anything on the menu that I haven't tried, and I hate ordering something and realizing I could have made something tastier at home.

However, there's one meat that I never tire of. I haven't been brave enough to make veal at home, but I absolutely adore veal parm. So when I was gifted a bottle of Gaja last week, I decided I needed to make something new and exciting to accompany my wine.

Cue veal parmesan. And oh, sweet Jesus, am I glad I did.

I made dinner last night for the manfriend and the wonderful gentleman who purchased the bottle for me. I feel fairly confident saying it was a religious experience for all of us. And to top it all off, since we had dinner at Chris's house, he set the table and had the most adorable plate garnishes ever. Especially for a low-key dinner party.

Fresh rosemary from the garden! So cute, right?


Anyway. Let's get back to the star of the show.



Veal Parmesan. 


1 lb. veal scallopini
8 oz. mozzarella
diablo marinara sauce
Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
parmesan




Dip each piece of veal in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Lay length-wise in a large lasagna pan. Cover with diablo marinara and a layer of shredded mozzarella. Repeat. (I only needed two layers.) Top with more marinara, mozzarella, and tons of parmesan. Bake at 350* for 12 minutes.


Yes, we kicked things off with a Bordeaux. No, that's not the wine that prompted the party. 




And for the sauce:


Diablo Marinara


3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
3/4 c. Cabernet Sauvignon or other red wine
4 bay leaves
thyme
oregano
rosemary
4 Tbsp. chopped basil
red pepper flakes

Saute the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in olive oil until softened. Dump in the canned tomatoes and wine. Add in your seasonings, to taste, with a very generous helping of red pepper. Let simmer for 45 minutes. Take your bay leaves out and enjoy!

As an added bonus, the table before we all dove in:

The flowers came from Chris's garden. And the Gaja is in the decanter, slightly left of center stage. After chowing down, we enjoyed a nice soak in the hot tub. Perfect way to end the night!