WALKAWAY RATATOUILLE

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Most ratatouille recipes call for labor-and time intensive treatments like salting and/or pressing to remove excess moisture from the vegetables. We started our streamlined recipe by sautéing onions and aromatics and then added chunks of eggplant and tomatoes before transferring the pot to the oven, where the dry, ambient heat would thoroughly evaporate moisture, concentrate flavors, and caramelize some
of the vegetables. After 45 minutes, the tomatoes and eggplant became meltingly soft and could be mashed into a thick, silky sauce. Zucchini and bell peppers went into the pot last so that they retained some texture. Finishing the dish with fresh herbs, sherry vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil tied everything together. This dish is best prepared using ripe, in-season tomatoes. If good tomatoes are not available, substitute one 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes that have been drained and chopped. Ratatouille can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled, as an accompaniment to meat or fish, topped with an egg, over pasta, or on its own with crusty bread.

Serves: 6 to 8

Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• Salt and pepper
• 1½ teaspoons herbes de Provence
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped coarse 1½ pounds eggplant,
• peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 red bell pepper,
• stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed,
• seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat ⅓ cup oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and starting to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in herbes de Provence, pepper flakes, and bay leaf and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, eggplant, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Transfer pot to oven and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender and spotty brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
3. Remove pot from oven and, using potato masher, mash eggplant mixture to coarse puree. Stir in zucchini, bell peppers, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and return to oven. Cook, uncovered, until zucchini and bell peppers are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Remove pot from oven, cover, and let stand until zucchini is translucent and easily pierced with tip of paring knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Using wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits from sides of pot and stir back into ratatouille. Discard bay leaf.
5. Stir in 1 tablespoon basil, parsley, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to large platter, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon basil, and serve.