Ah, eggplant! I cannot resist them at the farmers market, so beautiful and rotund.
But I have to admit they tend to hang around in my produce drawer. My family does not love them the way I do, not even breaded and fried into eggplant parmesan. Alas!
So, this is a quick dish I make for my husband and I and serve the kids a simple pasta. The good thing is that it’s pretty much hands-free.
Yes, we’re talking about the sheet pan technique again. This time to make an oven-roasted ratatouille.
A classic peasant-style stew made from eggplant, zucchini and summer squash, peppers and tomatoes {what grows together goes together}, it is prime time to make this right now with local produce.
Because produce like this is not going to last for long. Our farmers’ market wrapped up last weekend.
Typically, ratatouille involves slowly cooking onions with these vegetables so that everything breaks down together to make a sort of stew.
But for this version, I pile everything on a oiled sheet pan and blast them in the oven. The heat evaporates the liquid and concentrates their flavors while browning everything up in a delicious way.
As one of my favorite chefs, Tom Douglas once told me, “Do not be afraid of brown.”
This is a prime example of letting fresh ingredients speak for themselves.
The only additional seasoning I add is a dollop of pureed basil and garlic into the finished ratatouille. A splash of good sherry or red wine vinegar is the final touch to highlight this splendid late-summer supper.
It’s dairy free and vegan, and I serve it over cooked quinoa or Israeli couscous for a vegetarian main dish for Meatless Monday. Or, for a more elaborate dish, top it with a dollop of ricotta cheese.
In another version, I tossed it with sauteed Italian sausage and penne slicked with some of the pasta cooking water and sprinkled on the parmesan cheese.
With a full sheet pan of roasted late-harvest vegetables, there is no wrong turn. Welcome fall cooking!
What is your favorite sheet pan supper trick? Let me know in the comments below or tag a photo #lynnesforage on Instagram or Facebook.
Sheet Pan Ratatouille
This sheet pan method produces a ratatouille that is less like a stew with more concentrated flavors from roasting. Serve this as is over quinoa or tossed with Israeli couscous or shaped pasta, such as penne, for a vegetarian main dish.
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 medium eggplant, diced
- 4 small zucchini or summer squash, diced
- 4 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup lightly packed basil leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 teaspoon sherry or red wine vinegar
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with the oil and put in the oven to heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Scatter the onion, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
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Roast the vegetables until they begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Turn them all over as best you can and continue roasting until they are deeply browned, about 15 minutes more.
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In a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine the basil and garlic. When the vegetables are done, toss them with the basil on the sheet pan and sprinkle with the vinegar before serving with cooked grains or pasta.
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