Next Level Ratatouille Food

THE BEST RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the bell peppers, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the bell peppers have softened slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the eggplant, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini has softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the ratatouille has reached a thick stew-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and basil with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with more fresh parsley and basil before serving.

RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with one rack in the middle of the oven and one in the upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up, if desired.
• To prepare your tomatoes, remove any woody cores with a paring knife. Then, grate them on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl (this is easiest if you hold the tomato at a diagonal), and chop any remaining tomato skin. Or, blitz the tomatoes in a food processor until they are broken into a frothy pulp. Set aside.
• On one baking sheet, toss the diced eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly coated. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer across the pan, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and set aside.
• On the other baking sheet, toss the bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Place the eggplant pan on the middle rack and the other vegetables on the top rack. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and caramelizing on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, and use a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula to stir any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low, or as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Once 15 minutes are up, remove both pans from the oven, stir, and redistribute the contents of each evenly across the pans. This time, place the eggplant on the top rack and other vegetables on the middle rack.
• Bake until the eggplant is nice and golden on the edges, about 10 more minutes (the eggplant will be done sooner than the rest). Remove the eggplant from the oven, and carefully stir the eggplant into the simmering tomato sauce.
• Let the squash and bell pepper pan continue to bake until the peppers are caramelized, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Then, transfer the contents of the pan into the simmering sauce. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes to give the flavors time to meld.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon olive oil, the fresh basil and red pepper flakes. Crumble the dried oregano between your fingers as you drop it into the pot. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon more) and black pepper.
• Serve in bowls, perhaps with a little drizzle of olive oil, additional chopped basil, or black pepper on top (all optional). Like all stews, this ratatouille's flavor improves as it cools. It's even better reheated the next day. Ratatouille keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 days, or for several months in the freezer.

RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables: Peel and trim onions, then cut in half from top to bottom. Cut each half into 4 wedges, then cut into a large dice. Place in a bowl and set aside. Trim and core the peppers; discard stems and cores. Cut in half, then remove and discard seeds and veins. Slice into 1-inch strips, then cut into a large dice. Place in the bowl with the onions and set aside. Peel and slice garlic cloves in half. Remove and discard any green germs inside, then finely mince. Place in a bowl and set aside.
• Trim zucchini and cut into quarters, lengthwise; then cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a bowl and set aside. Trim eggplants, then cut in half. Cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a bowl and set aside.
• Sauté vegetables: In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, followed by onions and peppers. Stirring occasionally, gently sweat the vegetables until they are soft but have taken on no color, 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, heat a generous tablespoon olive oil. Add zucchini, a pinch of salt, and a few turns of the pepper mill. Stirring occasionally, sauté until zucchini has taken on a golden color, 5-6 minutes. Season onion-pepper mixture with a few pinches of salt and the red pepper flakes.
• Blanch tomatoes: When the large pot of water is simmering, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Use a paring knife to cut out the tomato stems and discard. Score an "x" into the bottom of each tomato, for easy peeling after blanching. Place tomatoes in simmering water for 30 seconds. Use a strainer to immediately transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath; allow to cool completely. Use a paring knife to peel away the tomato skin and discard.
• When onion-pepper mixture has been sweating for 4-5 minutes, turn heat to low and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove zucchini from skillet, leaving some oil behind, and set aside. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add another tablespoon olive oil, followed by eggplant, a pinch of salt, and a few turns of pepper. Stirring occasionally, sauté until eggplant has taken on a golden color, 5-6 minutes. Try to keep the eggplant pieces intact. (If the eggplant sticks, add up to another tablespoon or so of olive oil, as needed.)
• Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Use your hands to remove most of the seeds, then gently squeeze to remove excess juice. Halve the tomatoes horizontally again, then cut into 1-inch chunks and set aside. Remove eggplant from heat and set aside; the volume of the eggplant should be reduced by about half. By now, the onions should be soft and translucent; stir garlic and tomato paste into onion-pepper mixture. Add zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes; gently stir to combine. Season with 2 pinches of salt and bring to a low simmer, 2-3 minutes.
• While the ratatouille is simmering, make a bouquet garni: Gather the basil, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf into a small bundle, using the basil to contain the other herbs. Wrap securely with butcher's twine and tie with a double knot. Trim the ends of the bouquet garni, then submerge it in the middle of the ratatouille. Next, make a parchment paper lid, or "cartouche," for the Dutch oven: Fold a large sheet of parchment paper into quarters. Fold in half twice diagonally to make a flat wedge; then trim the outer edge so that the wedge is as long as the radius of the pot. Finally, snip off the point of the wedge to create a steam vent. Unfold the parchment: you should have a cartouche that is about the same size and shape as the Dutch oven, with a small hole in the center. Lay the cartouche directly on the surface of the ratatouille. Place in the oven and bake, 45-60 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, remove ratatouille from oven; the vegetables should be soft and the sauce thickened. (If the ratatouille is watery, continue cooking for up to 15 more minutes.) Discard cartouche. Tear half the basil leaves and gently stir them into the ratatouille. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Transfer the vegetables and most of the liquid to a serving platter. Garnish with whole basil leaves and baste the top of the ratatouille with remaining liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving, hot or cold.

RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare the vegetables: Smash and peel 3 garlic cloves, reserving the 4th. Halve onions through their roots, and slice halves into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes or spears. Seed peppers, and cut them into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
• Spread each vegetable on a separate rimmed baking sheet (use extra sheets as necessary). Add the 3 cloves of smashed garlic to the onion pan. Add 1 sprig rosemary and 2 sprigs thyme to each of the pepper, eggplant and zucchini pans. Sprinkle salt lightly over vegetables. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil on each of the pans.
• Place all the pans in the oven (or work in batches if they don't fit at once). Cook until vegetables are very tender and lightly browned at the edges. This will take about 35 to 40 minutes for the peppers (their skins should shrivel), 40 to 45 minutes for the eggplant and zucchini (the eggplant should crisp slightly and the zucchini should be well cooked, so let them go 3 to 5 minutes longer than you normally might), and 60 to 65 minutes for the onions. Don't worry about the vegetables being pretty; they will meld into the ratatouille. Shake or stir the pans every 15 to 20 minutes or so, especially the onions.
• In the meantime, prepare the tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes and blanch until the skins split, about 10 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer the tomatoes to a bowl filled with ice water.
• Using a paring knife, peel the cooled tomatoes (the skins should slip right off). Halve tomatoes across their equators. Set a sieve over a bowl. Working over the bowl, use your fingers to seed the tomatoes, letting the seeds catch in the sieve and the juice run into the bowl. Discard seeds but save juices. Dice tomatoes and add to the reserved juices in bowl.
• Finely grate or mince remaining garlic clove. Add garlic to tomatoes along with bay leaves and a large pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Once vegetables are done cooking, combine them on one baking sheet or a large shallow baking dish and add ingredients from tomato bowl. Toss well. Vegetables will be stacked, and that's O.K. Cover generously with olive oil, using remaining ¼ cup oil or more, and sprinkle with salt. Everything should have a good coat of oil, but should not be drowning in it. Cook at least 1 hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are very tender and imbued with juices and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm, or let cool.

RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Coat a large wide pan with olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt and crushed red pepper and bring the pan to a medium heat. Cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, thyme bundle and season with salt. Cook the tomatoes until they become very pulpy and have broken apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, summer squash and zucchini, season with salt and cook until the squash is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in the basil and taste to make sure the seasoning is correct. Serve warm or at room temperature.