Baked Eggplant with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Anchovy

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Extra-virgin olive oil 3 or 4 small eggplants (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch slices Salt and pepper Pinch of crushed red pepper 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 12 ounces fresh ricotta ½ pound smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced (or use fresh mozzarella) 2 cups provolone cheese, coarsely grated (about ½ pound) ½ cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (about 2 ounces) ½ cup finely grated pecorino cheese (about 2 ounces) 12 anchovy fillets ¼ cup toasted bread crumbs, preferably homemade 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian Time: 2 hours

1: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Season eggplant slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange half the eggplant slices in one layer on bottom of dish, overlapping slices slightly. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper to taste and scatter onion slices evenly over surface.

2: With a small spoon, distribute the ricotta in little blobs evenly over surface, then arrange half the smoked mozzarella over the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated provolone.

3: Make another layer of overlapping slices with remaining seasoned eggplant. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Top surface evenly with remaining smoked mozzarella and provolone, then sprinkle with Parmesan and pecorino. Arrange anchovy fillets over top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

4: Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until eggplant is quite tender when pierced with a fork and top is crisp and golden. (If top seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil and reduce heat to 350 F.) Remove from oven, dust with oregano and let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares. The dish is best served at room temperature, not piping hot.