Ingredients

  • 1 whole Medium Onion
  • 1 Tablespoon Garlic
  • 28 ounces, weight Can Crushed Tomatoes (one)
  • 1 whole Bay Leaf
  • 1 dash Cumin
  • 2 whole Roasted Red Peppers
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 1 whole Zucchini
  • 3 whole Medium Tomatoes
  • 1 whole Japanese Eggplant
  • 1 whole Summer Squash
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste

Method

  • Saute the onions, then garlic together until the onions are softened.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf and cumin and finally the peppers.
  • Keep the piperade just under a simmer until the peppers are cooked well and incorporated into the sauce.
  • An optional idea is to pulse the piperade for a smooth sauce, but I liked the rustic appearance of this.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Remove the bay leaf before layering the bottom of a baking dish with the piperade.
  • Slice the vegetables and layer them above the sauce.
  • Mix together the olive oil topping ingredients.
  • Drizzle the top of your ratatouille with the olive oil topping, and pop it into a 350 degrees F oven until the tips of the eggplant are caramelized and curling, about 1 1/2 hours.