GOOD EATS
Ratatouille Can Be a Hearty Winter Stew
No animals were hurt — much — while making this dish
I discovered ratatouille a few years ago and make it once or twice a year. I can’t recall how I found it, but I have a habit of trolling websites for recipes.
This recipe isn’t the classic French vegetable stew; I came up with a riff because I don’t care for eggplant — in no way, shape, or form. Nor do I care if it looks fancy. If it tastes good, that’s all that matters.
I’ve included the complete recipe below if you prefer the classic stew. You can also find the link here.
My daughter and I don’t constitute a family of eight, so I’ve cut the recipe in half because she doesn’t care for ratatouille, and I love it. This will be lunch for the next two or three days. Again, the recipe calls for eggplant. I substitute one-and-a-half pounds of pre-cut butternut squash. Why pre-cut? Have you ever tried cubing butternut squash? It’s a dense gourd and tough to cut into cubes. So I’ll spend the extra buck for pre-cut.
Although it’s a tasty vegetarian meal, I will sometimes add frozen mini-meatballs until they’re warm. If I use cubed ham, I’ll add it to my bowl instead.
When I’ve finished preparing the vegetable, I’ll add them to a dutch oven. Even a half recipe will require a large pan.
After sauteing the garlic, onions, and green bell peppers (because there’s no reason to pay more for red or yellow bell peppers), I added a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes (replacing the sliced Roma tomatoes) and a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes.
I cut one zucchini and one yellow squash in half lengthwise before cutting the halves into slices and tossing them and the butternut squash into the dutch oven. The recipe calls for fresh basil and thyme, but I don’t use these herbs often enough. I’d be wasting the unused portion of both and the money spent, so I used dried basil and thyme. The exchange works quite well. Typically, one tablespoon of fresh herbs equals one teaspoon of dried herbs.
Ingredients for eight servings
Veggies
2 eggplants
6 Roma tomatoes
2 yellow squashes
2 zucchinis
Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
Salt, to taste, pepper, to taste
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil from 8–10 leaves
Herb Seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil from 8–10 leaves
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Salt, to taste, pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into approximately ¹⁄₁₆-inch (1 mm) rounds, then set aside.
Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
Arrange the sliced veggies in alternating patterns (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Make the herb seasoning: In a small bowl, mix the basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spoon the herb seasoning over the vegetables.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Serve while hot as a main dish or side. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day — cover with foil and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for 15 minutes or microwave to the desired temperature.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for stopping by. Lay 50 claps on me and comment if you would please. I will return the favor. Cheers!
I accept tips, which go directly to Dining for Hunger, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization that looks to end food insecurity. If you can spare a dollar or two, I’d be grateful.
More stories from Bruce Coulter.
