Overview
Time: 55 minutes
Dishes: large skillet, medium pot
Hello, hello Dear Readers!
When my son told me that he had a hankering for Ratatouille, I thought - great, I can make that.
Then he told me he had made it before - the authentic way, and I thought - hey, I can do that.
Then he told me it took him 3 hours to make, and I thought - yeah, um, no.
Although I agree with him wholeheartedly that Ratatouille should be made properly - cooked so that all the vegetables sing in harmony but each keep their integrity; not be overcooked but be properly cooked to perfection. However, I could not devote 3 hours to it.
After preparing the dish, while complaining that it was not layered properly in thinly cut disks, he managed to keep shoveling the pasta into his mouth, so I will follow his actions and not so much listen to his gripes. In the meantime, my husband was head down into the bowl of pasta and by the time I got back to the kitchen there were only a few lingering squash pieces left in the pan.
In order to cook the dish properly, you have to cook it in stages, very much like the Hungarian Lecso or the Spanish Sofrito. Only after the current layer is partly cooked, do you add the next ingredient. The ratatouille is then braised in broth and finally baked in the oven.
It sounds complicated, but take a look at the recipe - it is easy to prepare and the instructions are clear.
Don't miss out.
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Enjoy!
Speedy Cooking Tips:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Chop the onion first and add to the pan.
- Then mince the garlic and add it.
- Chop the squash and eggplant while the onion cooks.
- Chop the tomato while the squash cooks.
- Cook the pasta while the ratatouille bakes.
- Save some cooking pasta water in case the ratatouille is too dry, but it shouldn't be needed.
(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF: choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)
Ratatouille Pasta
www.ZsusVeganPantry.com
Makes 4 servings
weekday/weekend
Preheat oven to 400-F
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium summer squash (18 ounces), cut into 1-inch dice
1 medium eggplant (14 ounces), cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium tomatoes (15 ounces), chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
12 ounces pasta
1/4 cup minced parsley
1. Onion: Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and chili flakes and garlic. Cook until the onion is golden, covered, about 8 minutes. Stir as needed.
2. Squash: Add the squash and eggplant to the Onion. Cook until squash is starting to brown, 4 minutes. Stir as needed.
3. Tomato: Add the tomato and paste to the Onion. Mix well. Cook until the paste is browning, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Broth and Bake: Add the broth to the Onion. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400-F. Uncover and transfer to oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Alternately, transfer to an oven-safe dish to bake.
5. Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
6. Serve: Remove from the oven and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss with Pasta. Serve.
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