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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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I used to make enormous vats of ratatouille that would sit in a steam table all night and as the evening progressed the veggies would continue to cook until they were indistinguishable mush. I HATED IT! Now, when I get the urge for all the lucious goodness of fresh veggies, I make ratatouille my way and it makes me very happy. Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant cut in medium sized cubes (don't bother to peel) |
2 zucchini, scrubbed and cut in medium chunks |
2 yellow squash, scrubbed and cut in chunks |
1 full head of garlic, most of the outer peel pulled off |
2 large yellow or red onions cut in coarse wedges, ends removed |
1 8 oz. box of white button mushrooms or crimini, wiped down left whole (on the small side, don't aim for huge mushrooms here, you don't want to cut them; that is more work) |
1 green pepper, seeded and cut in medium chunks |
1 red pepper seeded and cut in medium chunks |
1 yellow pepper seeded and cut in medium chunks |
2 lbs. of roma tomatoes stem ends removed and halved |
extra virgin olive oil |
sea salt |
fresh ground black pepper |
fresh marjoram if available (i mysteriously kill mine each year) |
several sprigs of fresh thyme leaves |
a handful of parsley, stemmed and coarsely chopped |
two long pieces of lemon rind, juice of one lemon |
sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes |
few shavings of parmesan if you must gild the lily |
Directions:
1. Line a large sheet pan with foil.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees while you prep the veggies.
3. Toss the eggplants, zucchini, yellow squash in a scant amount of oil, you don't want them drenched.
4. Put on sheet pan, don't crowd and sprinkle with sea salt and ground black pepper.
5. Trim the end of the garlic bulb and rub generously with oil.
6. Toss peppers and onion and mushrooms with scant oil and put on the other end of the sheet pan. Again, don't crowd.
7. If there is too much for your sheet pan, fix up another sheet pan and plan to rotate the pans while cooking.
8. DON T ROAST THE TOMATOES.
9. Roast the veggies in hot oven for about 20 minutes. You want each to maintain their shape but to get a tiny bit of char on the surface.
10. Don't cook the garlic to mush, you want to be able to just squeeze it from the bulb.
11. Finally dump all the veggies into a stock pot, including the prepped tomatoes, squeeze the garlic out of the bulb into the pot, the thyme leaves, the marjoram, the lemon rind and the lemon juice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
12. Cook over low heat until the tomatoes give up their juice and stir only enough to combine, you don't want to break down the veggies anymore if at all possible.
13. At service, fish out lemon rind and thyme branches if you left them whole. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and long shavings of parmesan.
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