Ratatouille – originally referring to a chunky vegetable stew – is a southern French dish, traditionally made with eggplant, sweet peppers, summer squash, garlic, onion, and tender green herbs, in a tomato-based sauce. This version exchanges the stovetop for the oven and brightens the flavor with fennel; chickpeas turn it hearty. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015123-chickpea-and-fennel-ratatouille
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound eggplant (smaller is better), peeled if you like, and cut into large chunks
- ¾ pound zucchini, cut into large chunks
- 1 pound Roma (plum) tomatoes, cored and chopped, or 1 28-ounce can, drained
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced
- 1 fennel bulb (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 5 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or ½ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients except oil, chickpeas and herbs in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and toss to combine.
- Transfer to oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender and some water has been released from the tomatoes to create a sauce, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Add chickpeas, stir and return to oven until beans heat through, 5 to 10 minutes. Add herbs and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.