Makes 6 main course servings or 8 side dish servings.
This is not the classic ratatouille where each vegetable is sautéed separately and then all are combined. In this dish all the vegetables are cooked together to produce a wonderful healthy dish.
Topped with grated Mozzarella or crumbled feta, it can be a nutritious meal by itself.
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 zucchini
- 2 baby eggplants (about 1 pound together) (See Note)
- 2 yellow squash
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 plum tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, cubed (See Note)
- ¾ cup tightly packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup tightly packed basil leaves, torn to pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Grated Mozzarella, or crumbled feta, about 6 ounces
PREPARATION:
- In a large covered saucepan, heat ¼ cup olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté, over low heat until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes.
- Rinse the zucchini, pat dry, trim the ends and discard. Cut into small cubes. Do the same with the yellow squash. Peel the eggplant, cut into small cubes. Core the pepper, seed and cut into small cubes.
- Add the rest of the oil into the saucepan. Add all the vegetables and toss until all the vegetables are coated. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time until the vegetables are soft.
- Add parsley and basil. Season to taste.
- To serve top with the cheese of your choice, or serve as is.
NOTES:
I prefer to use baby eggplants, because they have fewer seeds.
To skin tomatoes, drop them into boiling water. Return the water to a boil and drain. Loosen the tomato skin and slip it off. After blanching the tomatoes, core them, cut them in half widthwise, and squeeze each half gently until the seeds pop out. Some seeds will remain.
Basil leaves discolor if they are chopped. It is best to tear them to the desired size.
Feta comes in many strengths, from mild, which I prefer, to strong.
