Ratatouille
By: Alison Bermack
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010 - 1:02am

Ingredients




3 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 larges cloves
1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, rough chopped
1 cup olive oil (more may be needed)
2 pounds eggplant, sliced
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 larges onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 assorted bell peppers (green, red, yellow, and/or orange), cored, seeded and thinly sli
3 mediums zucchini, sliced
3 mediums yellow summer squash, sliced
Ground black pepper

Preparation

1 In a large heavy saucepan, combine tomatoes, garlic, parsley and approximately 1/3 cup olive oil. Bring to a simmer and, stirring occasionally, cook until tomatoes start to break down. About 30 minutes. 2 Toss sliced eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand in sink for 30 minutes. 3 Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Over moderate heat, cook onions until softened and caramelized. Transfer onions to a bowl and set aside. 4 In the same skillet, heat another 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook peppers until also softened. Transfer to the bowl with onions. 5 Heat another 2-3 tablespoons of oil and saute the zucchini and yellow squash until softened, then transfer to the vegetable bowl. 6 Pat eggplant with paper towels. Add another 2-3 tablespoons of oil and over medium heat cook the eggplant until softened. About 10 minutes. 7 Add all the vegetables to the tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper, and simmer covered, for about an hour. Stir occasionally.

About


Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Delicious served warmed or at room temperature, as a side dish or a main entree. 
Vegetables can be coarsely chopped or sliced thin. Since the vegetables in this recipe are cooked separately they can be layered in a dish (Julia Child-style), instead of mixed together. 
Herbes de Provence are also delicious added to this dish.