Two are better than one

Thursday night I cracked open a recipe that I know I have not touched in five years.  The reason I know this, is because we have been in our current home almost five years, and I have never cooked this dish, in this house.  It is a little sad that I actually know that for a fact.   I swear I’m not autistic.  Unfortunately, I’m not sure how old this recipe is because although it comes from Real Simple magazine,  it was before they started putting the month/year of the issue on each page. It was probably in their early years. 

Despite the fact that I have not made this in years, it does not mean it is a recipe I do not like. On the contrary, it is one of the few recipes where a major ingredient is eggplant, and the huz devours it. Truth be told I think this recipe was one of the first steps to breaking his addiction to the “I don’t eat that” cycle. I swear, once after being exposed to this recipe, the huz told me a dish we were eating was missing something.  He sat their earnestly going through his foodie memory bank, struggling to figure out what the missing element was. His eureka?  EGGPLANT!  I was  speechless. Did the spirit of Bobby Flay briefly inhabit the huz?  All I knew was there was hope for him after all (although I still can’t get him to eat a mushroom to save his life).

This recipe is two recipes in one. Don't stop reading. It's worth it, I swear. First there is the Ratatouille recipe, which is delicious on its own. You can serve it with pasta, or rice, any meat/protein you like, and call it good. Now that I think about it, it would be lovely served on toasted ciabata or foccacia, topped with some sliced mozzarella, and a quick hit in the broiler (Note to self: do this with the leftovers!!!)  I’m salivating now.

The second recipe is what I actually made for dinner on Thursday – Vegetarian Ziti Gratin. You basically take the Ratatouille, and toss it with a handful of other ingredients and create a whole new meal.   Believe it or not there are two other recipes that can be made using the Ratatouille as the base, but for now I am sticking with the gratin.  I would call this gratin a loose interpretation of lasagna. Maybe rustic lasagna. Or even lasagna’s cousin “ratsagna.”  Okay now I’m just making up words and spellcheck is going to either kill me, or correct me.

RATATOUILLE (you have to make this first)

(Makes 4 servings)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced

1 small bay leaf

1 small eggplant cut into ½ inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1 small zucchini halved lengthwise then thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper cut into slivers

4 plum tomatoes coarsely chopped (I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup shredded fresh basil leaves (I completely forgot to do this)

Fresh ground black pepper

1.       Over medium-low heat add oil to a large skillet with onion, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened.

2.       Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the eggplant is softened.

3.       Stir in the zuchinni, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

4.       Stir in the basil and a few grinds of pepper.

Mmmmm Ratatouille

VEGETARIAN ZITI GRATIN

(Makes 4 servings)

1.  Prepare Ratatouille recipe.
2. Cook 1 pound ziti according to package directions.
3. Drain and toss with one 15-ounce container ricotta cheese, 2 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ cup grated Parmesan, and 1 teaspoon salt. 



Creamy, cheesey noodles

4. Spoon half of the ziti into a lightly greased 4-quart casserole.  Top with Ratatouille, and then the remaining ziti.
5. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded Cheddar.  Cover and bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes.  Uncover and cook 10 minutes more.  Enjoy.

A couple points I need to make.  When I made the Ratatouille I actually froze half of it.   As a result I cut all of the ingredients for the gratin in half, and baked it in a 2-quart casserole.  This yielded 4 generous servings – two hefty dinners, plus lunch leftovers. I think if you stay true to the recipe it can easily feed a family of 6 – 8. I’m just saying...it makes a lot.

I hope you will try this - even if you just do the Ratatouille. It is really good, and a great way to sneak in some vegetables that taste fantastic. You may become an eggplant lover yet.