Spicy Smoky Ratatouille Casserole

Name: Spicy Smoky Ratatouille Casserole
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes; 1/2 pound button mushrooms; 2 carrots; 2 ribs celery; 1 onion; 1 yellow bell pepper; 1 red bell pepper; 1 anaheim or poblano pepper; 1 chile pepper; 8 basil leaves; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 teaspoons crushed garlic; 1 teaspoon salt; 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; 1/2 teaspoon oregano; 4 roma tomatoes; 8 ounces zucchini; 5 ounces Japanese eggplant; 5 ounces yellow squash; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon crushed garlic; salt and pepper; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme; 2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil

User Reviews

5.0

21 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
3 hrs mins
Total Time
4 hrs 30 mins
Servings
10 servings
Calories
134 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Middle Eastern

Spicy Smoky Ratatouille Casserole

Iris Warren

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An elegant, flavorful recipe for ratatouille with Middle Eastern spices, smoked paprika and mushrooms. Hearty vegan entree.

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Ingredients

Servings

Sauce Ingredients

2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1/2 pound button mushrooms (sliced)
2 carrots (minced)
2 ribs celery (minced)
1 onion (minced)
1 yellow bell pepper (roasted and chopped, skin, seeds and stem removed)
1 red bell pepper (roasted and roughly chopped, skin, seeds and stem removed)
1 anaheim or poblano pepper roasted and roughly chopped, skin, seeds and stem removed
1 chile pepper (roasted and roughly chopped, skin, seeds and stem removed)
8 basil leaves (minced)
1/4 cup olive oil (divided)
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon paprika (also known as sweet paprika)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (if spice sensitive use 1/4 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Sliced Vegetable Topping Ingredients

4 roma tomatoes (approx 10 oz, sliced very thin)
8 ounces zucchini (sliced very thin, about 2)
5 ounces Japanese eggplant (sliced very thin, about 2)
5 ounces yellow squash (sliced very thin, about 2)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (chopped)
2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil

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Instructions

It's important to have your vegetables chopped, sliced and fully prepared before you begin. There are a few different ways to roast the peppers -click here for options. With this dish I usually throw them directly on the burner of my gas stove and let them cook until the skin chars and blisters. With tongs, carefully turn the peppers so that they roast evenly on all sides. The peppers are done roasting when they are soft and starting to collapse.
Transfer the roasted peppers to a large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the peppers to steam for 15 minutes. You can also steam them in a paper bag if you prefer.
While the peppers are steaming, prepare and chop the rest of your ingredients. The Roma tomatoes, zucchini, Japanese eggplant and yellow squash should be sliced very thin, about 1/16 in thickness. This is best done with a sharp serrated knife or a mandoline. It does take a bit of time, but the result is totally worth it.
Once your peppers have finished steaming, peel off the skin and remove the seeds and ribs under cool running water. Roughly chop the peeled peppers and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped peppers, basil, 2 tsp crushed garlic, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne, paprika and oregano and pulse until you have a rough puree with texture. Taste the mixture; add additional spices and salt to taste, if desired. Note that the flavors will develop more during cooking-- don't overdo the spice, you'll taste it more when the dish is completely cooked.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a sauteuse pan or heavy bottomed skillet over medium high until hot. Spread out the sliced mushrooms in a single layer in the pan. Let them stand without stirring for 2 minutes until they are golden brown on the bottom. Begin stirring the mushrooms; continue stirring for another 2-3 minutes till they are nicely browned throughout. Remove mushrooms from the skillet and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp of the olive oil to the pan and sauté the minced onions, carrots and celery, scraping up any brown bits as you stir. Cook until the largest pieces of carrot and celery are soft and the onions are caramelized.
Add the mushrooms back to the pan along with the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Start to layer on the sliced vegetables by first overlapping them in a circle around the outer edge. Layer them close to each other; don't worry, you should have plenty of veggies to cover the whole surface.
Continue the same pattern until all of the sliced vegetables have been used. If you have extra vegetables you may want to double the layer in the center circle.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp of olive oil with 1 tsp crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and drizzle over the top of the sliced vegetables. Sprinkle the top lightly with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the fresh thyme over the top of the dish.
Cover the pan with a lid or a layer of parchment paper. Bake for 90 minutes. Remove the the lid or parchment and increase the heat to 350 degrees F. Cook for an additional 45 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot over cauliflower couscous, mashed potatoes or your favorite starch.
This dish takes a long time to prep, but the good news is you can prepare pretty much the whole thing up to 2 days in advance. Slice the vegetables (a mandolin will speed up this process) and place them into plastic zipper bags. Roast the peppers and make the tomato-pepper sauce, then place in a sealed Tupperware. Mix the olive oil and garlic mixture and chop any herbs for garnish. Refrigerate all of the ingredients. That way, all you'll need to do is assemble and cook on the day you serve. You may want to extend the baking time at 300 degrees by 10-15 minutes if the sauce is cold when it goes into the oven. I don't recommend freezing this dish, as the vegetables will become very mushy when reheated.

Notes

You will also need: tongs, large mixing bowl, plastic wrap, sharp knife (serrated preferable) or mandoline, food processor, 11-12 inch round sauteuse pan or heavy bottom skillet, parchment or lid
If you aren't worried about keeping this dish dairy free/vegan, feel free to sprinkle on some grated parmesan for an even more delicious treat. And if you aren't worried about keeping it gluten free or kosher for Passover, serve it with challah or freshly baked brioche-- you can use the bread to soak up all the yummy juices from the pan!
If you aren't worried about keeping this dish dairy free/vegan, feel free to sprinkle on some grated parmesan for an even more delicious treat. And if you aren't worried about keeping it gluten free or kosher for Passover, serve it with challah or freshly baked brioche-- you can use the bread to soak up all the yummy juices from the pan!

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 134kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 259mg (11%) Potassium 647mg (18%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 3780IU (76%) Vitamin C 78mg (87%) Calcium 31mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 134 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	134kcal	7%
Carbohydrates	13g	4%
Protein	3g	6%
Fat	8g	12%
Saturated Fat	1g	5%
Sodium	259mg	11%
Potassium	647mg	14%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	7g	14%
Vitamin A	3780IU	76%
Vitamin C	78mg	87%
Calcium	31mg	3%
Iron	1mg	6%