Hearty Ratatouille with Goat Cheese

A Late Summer Favorite

Late summer vegetables are my favorite! So when my friend, Anna, introduced me to this recipe from Soni’s Food, I couldn’t get enough of it! The crusty bread is a perfect compliment to this delightful dish! And, it’s even better the next day!

INGREDIENTS

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

1 can (12 ounces) tomato puree

3 cloves garlic thinly sliced

1/2 medium yellow onion finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 large red bell pepper

1 large Chinese Eggplant or other long skinny eggplant

1 large zucchini

1 large yellow squash

3-4 smallish yukon gold potatoes unpeeled

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

4 ounces soft goat's cheese

1 tbsp roughy chopped basil leaves

Crusty Bread for serving

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with one rack about 4 inches from the broiler and one rack in the center.

Mist a sheet pan with cooking spray

Dump the tomato puree onto the prepared sheet pan.Add the garlic, onion, salt and pepper.Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly.Drop the butter cubes all over.

Cut the top off the pepper, pull out the seeds.Take a sharp knife and slice into 1/8-1/4 of an inch rounds and slice the rounds into thirds.

Trim the ends of the eggplant, zucchini and squash.Slice each into 1/8-1/4 inch.

Slice the potatoes the same size too.

Carefully arrange the vegetables over the tomato base overlapping them in a pattern going from one short end to the other.

Drizzle the veggies with olive oil.Sprinkle with thyme and some salt and pepper.

Bake the ratatouille on the center rack until the vegetables are tender and the tomato sauce is bubbling up the edges, 30-40 mins

Remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven to broil.

Break the goats cheese into large crumbles and scatter evenly over the ratatouille.Broil to gently melt the cheese about 1 min.

Sprinkle the chopped basil and serve warm with crusty bread.

Enjoy!