I wait for it all year long—that moment at the green market when everything seems to be in season and gorgeous—eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, summer squash. . . . There seems to be no end to the glorious bounty of pitch-perfect produce. Ratatouille is a complete celebration of this finery. On a sheet pan, the hot, yet even, oven heat coaxes out the sweetness of the vegetables without turning them to mush. Instead of adding eggplant to the ratatouille, I roast it separately in big, thick slices, then spoon the tomato-bean mixture right over the top to dress up this quite rustic dish. If you prefer, chop the eggplant into small pieces and roast it along with the onion in Step 3.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (about 1½ pounds), stem and base
- removed, and sliced crosswise into 6 (1-inch) thick
- rounds
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 medium-size red onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium-size red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and
- finely chopped
- 2 medium-size zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 large tomato (about 1 pound), chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled, and thinly
- sliced crosswise into ribbons
How to Make It
- 1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- 2. Place the eggplant slices on a rimmed sheet pan. Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with the garlic oil mixture (save any leftover garlic oil for the tomatoes). Roast the eggplant until the bottoms are browned, about 15 minutes. With a spatula, flip the slices and continue to roast until tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the eggplant to a large plate.
- 3. Add the red onion and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the sheet pan, sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt, and stir to coat. Roast until the onion becomes translucent and starts to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Stir in the red bell pepper and cook until it starts to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), and remaining tablespoon olive oil and continue to cook until the onions are browned and the zucchini starts to become tender, about 10 minutes more.
- 4. Mix the tomatoes, remaining garlic oil, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a medium-size bowl. With a spatula, push the vegetable mixture to the one side of the sheet pan; turn the tomatoes out onto the other side. Roast until the tomatoes start to look juicy, about 10 minutes. Add the beans to the tomatoes and cook just enough to warm them through, 5 minutes more. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer the vegetables and beans to a large bowl. Add most of the basil and stir to combine.
- 5. Place 1 eggplant slice on each of 6 plates. Top with a generous amount of the bean mixture, sprinkle with the remaining basil, and serve.
