Ratatouille - wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather & Sports

Ratatouille

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Special Equipment:  Dutch oven or Large Slow Cooker

  • 1/4  cup Olive Oil (divided)
  • 2-3 Large Eggplants Peeled, and cut into 1 ½  inch cubes
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 3 large sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc)
  • 4 large colorful (your choice!) Bell peppers cut into approximately 1 ½ inch squares
  • 4 tablespoons minced garlic
  • Dill (2 tablespoons dried or ¼ cup fresh-chopped)
  • Basil 2 tablespoons dried or ½ cup fresh chopped
  • Oregano 2 Tablespoons dried or ¼ cup fresh chopped
  • 6 yellow squash sliced ½ inch thick and large end pieces cut in half (semi-circle)
  • 2 Zucchini  ½ inch thick slices
  • 4 pounds Fresh tomatoes (or 3 cans diced)
  • ½  6 ounce can tomato paste (Reserve remainder in plastic bag in freezer)
  • Brown sugar 0-2 tablespoons (as needed)
  • 2-3 cubes vegetable bouillon or 2-3 Teaspoons of vegetable base (Better than Bouillon)
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Red Pepper flakes to taste (let cook in for awhile before adding more!)

 

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Line a large Lasagna/roasting pan with foil. Spray with pan release. Put in Eggplant, drizzle with half the oil. Sprinkle eggplant with salt. Cover with another piece of foil (Hint: spray pan release on the side of the foil facing the eggplant).  Crimp/ seal foil.  Bake 30-40 min. until eggplant is cooked, but firm.  Remove from oven.

If using a Dutch oven lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.

In large fry pan sauté onions a few minutes, then add peppers, then herbs and garlic, then squash.  Cook after adding squash about 3-4 min, squash should only be partially cooked.

Put onion/squash mixture in crock pot or dutch oven.  Add tomatoes, tomatoes paste, bouillon, red pepper flakes and black pepper.  Cook for 15 min

Add Eggplant cook 10 min. more. Taste, add more herbs, bouillon, red pepper flakes and or brown sugar as needed.

Serve warm with fresh grated Parmesan, and Bread, or mix with pasta, top with cheese bake (350 degrees for ½ hour if ingredients are hot or 45 min. if cold)

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