End-of-Summer Ratatouille
The one-pot answer to a garden that's gotten completely out of hand. Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and onion, simmered low and slow until they turn into something better than the sum of their parts and it only gets better as it sits in the fridge.
Servings: 6
Calories: 172kcal
Cost: $8–12
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- Colander
- Chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant cubed
- 2 medium zucchini cubed
- 2 bell peppers cubed
- 4 large tomatoes or 1 can crushed, chopped
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil torn
Instructions
- Salt the eggplant in a colander, drain 30 minutes, rinse, pat dry.
- In a large Dutch oven, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds.
- Add peppers, cook 5–7 minutes.
- Add zucchini, cook 5 more minutes.
- Add eggplant with more oil if needed, cook 8–10 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt. Simmer uncovered 25–35 minutes, until reduced and thick.
- Remove bay leaf. Stir in fresh basil. Adjust seasoning. Serve.
Notes
Don't rush the waves. Adding everything to the pot at once is the fastest way to end up with mush instead of stew.
Taste before you finish it. Tomatoes swing wildly in acidity depending on how ripe they are, so the salt (and that final splash of vinegar or lemon) needs to be adjusted, not just measured.
This is a forgiving recipe, not a fussy one. Short a bell pepper? Heavy on zucchini? Go with what you've got. That's the whole spirit of it.
Freezes beautifully. Make a double batch and thank yourself in January.
Nutrition
Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 660mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2081IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
