Last Monday, I decided to do a rather extraordinary dish for Meatless Monday. It was a recipe that I adapted from Food & Wine Magazine for Ratatouille Spirals, a French dish of stewed vegetables.
With the list of ingredients needed, there was no way this dish for ratatouille spirals wasn’t going to be good. Thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, and roasted red peppers, creamy mozzarella cheese, and anchovies, rolled up and placed into a tangy tomato sauce and baked until the cheese is melted and gooey.
Here’s what I did:
In a medium pot of boiling water, score an “X” in the bottom of the skin and blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds; drain. Slip off the skins and half the tomatoes crosswise.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes, keeping the juices and seeds.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic and crushed pepper and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant. (DO NOT BROWN THE GARLIC)
Carefully add the tomatoes and juices and season lightly with salt, to taste. Pour in San Marzano tomatoes, crushing each in your hand before adding it to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a baking sheet.
Toast in the preheated oven for about 7 to 8 minutes. Toss the bread cubes and continue to bake, until golden, about 7 to 8 more minutes.
While the breadcrumbs bake and the sauce is simmering, in 2 separate colanders or pan lined with paper towels, toss the zucchini and eggplant each with salt. Set aside; let drain for 15 to 30 minutes.
Rinse off the zucchini and eggplant slices and pat the slices dry.
Spoon the tomato sauce into a 2 ½-quart baking dish. Scatter the prepared bread cubes on top.
On a work surface, top each zucchini slice with a slice of eggplant. Place a strip of roasted red pepper, optional anchovy and a stick of mozzarella at one end of each stack; roll up. Stand the rolls in the baking dish with the sauce and bread cubes; brush with oil.
Bake covered for 45 minutes; uncover and continue to bake, until the vegetables are just tender and the ratatouille is bubbling.
Let the spirals cool for 15 minutes before serving.
The only problem with the whole dish was the inconsistency with the eggplant and zucchini slices. I highly recommend using a slicing mandolin. Unfortunately, when I made this dish I did not have that handy gadget and put it on my list of kitchen gadget needs.
These ratatouille spirals are delicious and I highly recommend treating yourself to it. It is worth the time and effort!
Ratatouille Spirals
Ingredients
- 2 large beefsteak tomatoes
- 28 ounce canned San Marzano tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + more for brushing
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 cups day old bread cubed
- 2 ½ pounds medium zucchini cut lengthwise into ⅛-inch thick strips
- 2 ½ pounds small Japanese eggplant cut lengthwise into ⅛-inch think strips
- 3 fire roasted red bell peppers cut into ½-inch strips
- 18 oil-packed anchovies cut into thin strips (optional)
- ¾ pound fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 2-inch x ½-inch strips
Instructions
- In a medium pot of boiling water, blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds; drain. Slip off the skins and cut the tomatoes in half crosswise.
- Coarsely chop the tomatoes, keeping the juices and seeds.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic and crushed pepper and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant. (DO NOT BROWN THE GARLIC)
- Carefully add the tomatoes and juices and season lightly with salt, to taste. Pour in San Marzano tomatoes, crushing each in your hand before adding it to the pan.
- Cook, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss the bread with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on a baking sheet.
- Toast in the preheated oven for about 7 to 8 minutes. Toss the bread cubes and continue to bake, until golden, about 7 to 8 more minutes.
- While the breadcrumbs bake and the sauce is simmering, in 2 separate colanders or pan lined with paper towels, toss the zucchini and eggplant each with salt. Set aside; let drain for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Rinse off the zucchini and eggplant slices and pat the slices dry.
- Spoon the tomato sauce into a 2 ½-quart baking dish. Scatter the prepared bread cubes on top.
- On a work surface, top each zucchini slice with a slice of eggplant. Place a strip of roasted red pepper, optional anchovy and a stick of mozzarella at one end of each stack; roll up. Stand the rolls in the baking dish with the sauce and bread cubes; brush with oil.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes; uncover and continue to bake, until the vegetables are just tender and the ratatouille is bubbling.
- Let the spirals cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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