Confit Byaldi (aka Ratatouille’s Ratatouille)

As a food blogger, I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to be really, really excited about pumpkin right now. But it’s still hotter than Hades, my CSA box is still overflowing with zucchini and eggplant, and nary a leaf has changed color (that I’ve seen, anyway). So I’m not going to rush it. Fall will come, and when it does, I’m sure I’ll be just as guilty as anyone else of the inexplicable obsession with all things pumpkin. For now, I’ve got my feet firmly planted in summer and the great food that comes with it.

This recipe is Thomas Keller‘s spin on classic French ratatouille, which inspired the dish in the film Ratatouille. Instead of roughly chopped vegetables sautéed and then stewed in tomato sauce, this version takes ever-s0-thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, tomato, and carrot and layers them in beautiful spirals over a garlicky, herbilicious tomato and red pepper sauce. The whole thing is drizzled with olive oil and baked, and the result is better than any ratatouille I’ve ever had.

What I love most about this – other than the fact that it’s delicious, easy, and fancy-looking enough for a dinner party – is how flexible it is. I just used the vegetables I had on hand – anything you’ve got can easily be subbed in. I served it with roasted potatoes, but it’s also perfect with rice or pasta. And if you find yourself with extra veggies after layering the whole dish up? Prepare a second dish and freeze it for later. It’s the perfect way to hang on to summer for just a little bit longer.

4.0 from 2 reviews

Confit Byaldi (aka Ratatouille's Ratatouille)

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Thinly sliced vegetables layered atop a flavorful tomato-pepper sauce and baked.

Category: Main Dish

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1¼ cups tomato puree or sauce
• 1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped
• ½ large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Ratatouille

• 1 medium eggplant, very thinly sliced
• 1 medium summer squash, very thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, very thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, very thinly sliced
• 1 medium bell pepper, very thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Several sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a 2 quart oval baking dish, pie plate, or other casserole dish (see Notes), spread 1 Tbsp olive oil and tomato puree across the bottom. Stir in roasted red pepper, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, thyme and basil and season with salt and pepper.
3. If you have a mandoline chopper, use it to very thinly slice your veggies. If you don't have one, use a sharp knife to slice them as thinly as you can.
4. Starting at the outer edge of the dish and moving inwards in circles, begin layering the veggies alternately, overlapping each just slightly. Do this until you've reached the center of the dish. Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over the vegetables and add salt and pepper to taste. Lay the thyme sprigs on top of the vegetables.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes, until vegetables are fully cooked and tomato sauce is bubbly. Serve with rice, potatoes, or crusty bread.

Notes

I made this in a 2-quart oval baking dish and had a lot of extra veggies, so I made a second batch in a pie plate and froze it. If you don't want extras, you can use a larger casserole or baking dish.

3.2.2807

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