My Version of a New York Times Recipe for Ratatouille

Back in September the New York Times published a recipe which immediately caught my eye; Ratatouille and Sausage Potpie with Cornmeal Biscuits. Except for the biscuits, which I really don’t care for, it sounded delicious. So I decided to put my own spin on the recipe and substitute homemade focaccia for the biscuits.

I sandwiched the ratatouille between two thin slices of focaccia; one to soak up the juices from the bottom and the other to scoop up the hunks of veggies and sausage. It was perfect.

The recipe is enough for 6 servings so needless to say with just the two of us there was a lot leftover. That’s ok I tossed the leftovers with some pasta and got another great meal out of it.

FOR THE RATATOUILLE (NY Times recipe)

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds) cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small zucchini ( 3/4 pound), cut into 1-inch chunks
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil.

1. For the biscuits: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in the sour cream. Gently knead mixture until it comes together in a ball, adding a drop or two of milk if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. For the ratatouille: In a bowl, toss eggplant and zucchini with 5 tablespoons oil; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread vegetables in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets (do not crowd vegetables). Transfer to oven and roast, tossing occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep, preferably oven-proof sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Crumble sausage into pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.

4. Return pan to medium heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Stir in the onion, pepper, garlic and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and thyme sprigs; simmer gently until tomatoes are cooked and mixture is stew-like, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sausage, roasted vegetables and parsley.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving.<

Yield: 6 servings.

Coming Soon a Product Review and A Chance For You to Win:
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