Make Giada’s yummy dishes for your next girls’ night

For the sauce:
Place the oil in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot and garlic to the saucepan. Stir over medium heat until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Simmer the sauce until flavors blend and the sauce thickens slightly, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Mix in the vinegar, salt, and pepper, then more vinegar if desired. Puree sauce in blender. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill.)

For the eggplant:
Place flour and panko in medium bowls. Whisk egg whites in a third medium bowl until broken up and very frothy. Dip each eggplant slice in flour, then egg white, then panko to coat completely. Arrange eggplant on paper towels. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. )

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until hot (the surface will appear to be shimmering). Add half of eggplant. Cook until deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side (or more if needed). Carefully (so the crispy crust does not break) transfer the eggplant to a paper towel lined plate. Fry the remaining eggplant. (Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Toss the cheeses in a small bowl until well blended. Spread 1 generous teaspoon of sauce on each eggplant slice. Top each with a rounded teaspoon of cheese mixture; spread out to cover and press lightly to adhere. Transfer the eggplant slices to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the cheese mixture melts and the eggplant is heated through and crisp, about 12 minutes. Transfer the mini eggplant Parmesans to a platter. Garnish each with 2 small basil leaves. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to cool a bit and serve.

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the farro. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the farro is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and simmer until the farro is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.

Once the farro has cooled add the green beans, olives, red pepper, Parmesan, and chives. Stir to combine. In a small bowl mix together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the farro salad. Toss to combine and serve.

For the sauce:
In a heavy small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the bay leaf, nutmeg and garlic. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens to sauce consistency and is smooth, about 6 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and garlic.

For the pizza:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a heavy non-stick 16-by-10-inch baking sheet with olive oil.

Using fingers, spread the dough over the prepared baking sheet into a rectangle shape. Drizzle the dough with olive oil. Spoon the sauce on top and spread evenly leaving a 1-inch border around the dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Arrange the meatballs, cut-side-down, on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the kale in an even layer on top of the meatballs. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes longer until the kale is crispy.

Cut into squares and serve.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For the meatballs:
In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, Parmesan cheese, ketchup, basil, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the ground turkey and sausage meat. Using fingers gently mix all the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 22 to 24 meatballs). Place the meatballs on a heavy non-stick baking sheet, spacing apart. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until cooked through.