Roasted Ratatouille
Ratatouille always sounds like such a good idea — especially in late summer and early fall, as zucchini are profuse and prodigious, tomatoes are bursting with flavor and eggplant beckons. The reality can be so disappointing, with watery veg and flavors that whimper. We’ve tried so many recipes, heeded so many approaches. A challenging cooking situation, cooking in a vacation house in France with a very basic kitchen, led us to a solution, and a significant upgrade.
Roasting the eggplant, zucchini and peppers solves the problem, deepening the flavors and letting the vegetables maintain their integrity. As a bonus, there’s less work involved. Think of it as a sheet-pan ratatouille. While we’re at it, we sometimes roast the garlic as well; other times, we want a sharper, fresher garlic bite, so instead of roasting it, we mince it and add it to the onions when they’re nearly done cooking in the pan.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Ingredients
1 medium globe eggplant, about 1 1/4 pound/525 g
2 medium zucchini, about 1 1/4 pound/525 g
3 garlic cloves, still in their jackets