We’ve heard amazing tales of ratatouille from some of you so we thought we’d encourage these things. Here is a recipe that can fit into a busy schedule and be ready as soon as you finish working.
Slow-Cooker Ratatouille
You’ll need a slow-cooker with 4-to-5½-quart capacity.
- 1 pound eggplant (unpeeled), cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 slicing tomatoes, cut into medium dice
- 2 squash, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1 large bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 onion, sliced into half-moons
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (may substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 bay leaf
- basil leaves for garnish
Place the eggplant in a colander in the sink, and toss with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Allow to sit and drain for 30 minutes, then rinse. Lay the eggplant on paper towels and pat with paper towels to remove as much water as possible.
Whisk together the oil, tomato paste, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and the black pepper in a medium bowl.
Combine the eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and/or squash, bell pepper, onion, garlic and thyme in the slow-cooker. Add the oil-tomato paste mixture and stir. Add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until vegetables are tender, then uncover and cook for 1 hour more to allow some liquid to evaporate and the vegetables to meld further. Discard the bay leaf.
