Author Notes: We were at a dinner event in San Francisco some years ago when I had ratatouille for the first time. Thankfully, the husband didn’t realize it had eggplant in it or he never would have eaten it again.
Of course I had to replicate what my friends claimed was the best ratatouille they’d had.
My two-step process may seem like overkill to you, but the trick is to get the veggies so melty and herb-infused that an eggplant hater can’t detect the texture and falls in love with the flavor. Simmering on the stovetop just doesn’t quite do it. —Roxanne Graham
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
-
2-3
cups each: equal amounts of eggplant, zuchini, fresh tomatoes chopped into bite-sized pieces
-
1
cup each: equal amounts of red onion, red bell pepper chopped
-
1/2
bunch each: equal amounts of Italian flat leaf parsley and basil
-
1
tablespoon fresh rosemary
-
6
cloves of garlic, minced
-
1
18 oz. can of diced tomatoes
-
1
6 oz. can tomato paste
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1/2-1
cups carrots, chopped
-
1/2-1
cups crimini mushrooms, chopped
-
1-2
tablespoons lemon zest
Directions
- Chop everything and combine the veggies (with the can of diced tomatoes) in a Big Deep Saucepan with the herbs (except the parsley). Cover and simmer until al dente.
- Stir in the tomato paste and parsley.
- Pour the whole mix into a deep baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake in 375 oven for about 35 minutes.
- Uncover and sprinkle with parmesan. I like a lot. You decide. Bake until the parm is bubbling.
/f50bd7bf-ce23-4f81-8067-56d1c8c223ec--postbaked.jpg "Melt-in-your-mouth Ratatouille 2")
Photo by Roxanne Graham
