Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
2 bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into ¼-inch strips
Salt
2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium summer squash (about 1 ½ pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
3 large tomatoes, cored and diced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Fresh ground pepper
Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the onions, peppers, and 1 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
While the onions and peppers cook, heat 1 tablespoon more oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add half of the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a medium bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and the remaining eggplant, then transfer to the bowl. Working in two batches, repeat again with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the summer squash, transferring each batch to the bowl with the eggplant.
When the onions are golden brown, stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes with their juice, scraping up any browned bits. Gently stir in the browned eggplant and summer squash and bring to a simmer. Partially cover, place the pot in the oven, and cook the ratatouille until slightly thickened but the vegetables still retain their shape, about 1 hour, gently stirring halfway through cooking. Stir in the basil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Serves: 6-8
Recipe by: www.cooksillustrated.com