Southern Italian Ratouille

Prep Time: 0 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 8

This is another of Michael Chiarello's recipes that I have tried on several occasions and really enjoy.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 cups thinly sliced fresh wild or domestic mushrooms

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 white onion diced

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 pound yellow squash cut into 1/4 dices

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper cut into 1/4 dice

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 pound zucchini cut into 1/4 dices

1/2 cup thinly sliced leek white part only

3/4 cup chopped peeled seeded vine-ripened tomatoes

1 cup baby spinach loosely packed

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot.
2. Add mushrooms and cook without moving until brown on 1 side about 1 minute.
3. Continue to sauté another 2 minutes.
4. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and pour onto cookie sheet to cool.
5. Set used pan aside.
6. In separate clean skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat then add minced garlic.
7. Cook until golden brown about 2 minutes then add onion and cook 5 minutes.
8. In pan where mushrooms were add 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
9. Add yellow squash and cook 2 minutes then drain on same cookie sheet with mushrooms.
10. Place peppers in hot pan where squash was and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme.
11. When heated thoroughly add peppers to waiting mushrooms and yellow squash.
12. Add zucchini to same pan then add remaining thyme and cook 2 minutes.
13. Pull both pans of onions and zucchini off the heat and add to cookie sheet.
14. In former zucchini mushroom pan cook leeks to soften about 2 minutes.
15. In the other pan bring tomatoes to a simmer then season leeks with salt and pepper.
16. Add spinach then when spinach is wilted add cooked leeks to cooling vegetables.
17. Add basil to tomatoes then add tomatoes to cookie sheet and stir gently.
18. Top with parmesan and serve.

By RecipeOfHealth.com