I Smell A Ratatouille
By: Shelly Huang
Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - 6:40pm

Ingredients




1 inch small to medium eggplant, sliced ¼
3 inches large zucchinis, sliced ¼
1/4 inch 8 oz “log” of fresh smoked mozzarella, sliced
3 bell peppers, broiled, sweated out, and peeled, then cut into strips
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tarragon, finely chopped (or 1- 2 tsp dried tarragon)
5 leafs of basil, finely chopped, plus some extra for garnish
2 teaspoons of dried herb& spice mixture (thyme, oregano, 1/4 cup fat free half& half
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 sheets of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
olive oil to for cooking
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1 Preheat Oven to 350-375. Defrost the puff pastry sheets and spread over baking dish. 2 Make the tomato sauce: Cook the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, and garlic over medium heat until sauce thickens. Add water or more paste as necessary. Add in the herbs (tarragon, basil, herb & spice mixture) and stir. Slowly incorporate the half & half and agave and adjust until you reach the desired balance of acidity and savory. 3 Precook the eggplant. I find this step extremely important unless you’re using Japanese eggplants which cook more easily. Saute the eggplant slices in olive oil over medium to high heat and flip on other side until cooked and soft. 4 Spread the tomato sauce into the baking dish on top of the puff pastry. Then layer the veggies and cheese on top (eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, cheese, and so forth). 5 Bake for about 40-50 minutes until puff pastry is golden brown and vegetables and cheese are bubbly without being overcooked. 6 Be transported into the French countryside