High Summer Roasted Ratatouille

When I visited the farmer’s market a couple weekends ago, I was surprised to find eggplants. Usually they are only spotted in late August. At the same stand were tomatoes, zucchini, and onion, so my mind immediately dreamt of roasted ratatouille. It is one of my favorite meals, and I thought I could only enjoy it in late summer. Until now, that is.

The concept is very simple, and the result is way better than you could expect. I think you’d have to like eggplant though. Some people don’t, I understand, but I love it roasted. That’s my go-to plan for every vegetable I’m not sure what to do with: roast it!

Heat oven to 400°F.

To a large bowl add a tablespoon of minced onion, a tablespoon of tomato paste, 1/4 cup oil of choice, 5 minced garlic cloves, a heaping teaspoon of salt, pepper to taste, and some fresh or dried thyme.

Then add to the bowl 2 cups of sliced eggplant. Mine were the thin, long kind so they did not need to be diced at all. Also add 2 cups sliced zucchini, 1 large diced onion, and 1 cup of chopped tomatoes. You might be able to tell I added a few chili peppers into the mix to make it more spicy, but that’s totally optional.

Mix everything in the bowl to ensure all vegetables are coated.

Place onto a baking tray into a single layer and bake for 45 – 55 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like to use a silicone mat for roasting. I have this one,  that’s really for pie, and just fold it in half for the large baking tray.

Near the end of the bake time boil water for pasta. I chose spaghetti, but it wasn’t really a choice as that’s the only pasta I had on hand. I get it at WinCo in the bulk section in my own bag. 🙂

Top the spaghetti with the roasted ratatouille and garnish with fresh basil and parsley. Optional to sprinkle with parmesan and / or pine nuts depending on how you’re feeling that day. I apparently didn’t want either of those this time.

The fresh herbs were from my garden, which made this meal mostly local! Food from Idaho is decidedly not boring. Oh, and I made that bowl with my own hands. 🙂

Please let me know if you make this meal and if you become as obsessed with it as I am!

Peace and love,

Kristan

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Quick Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce

This dinner came together with minimal effort and minimal time.

Mini bell peppers were left from the student snack (go figure, Kindergarteners don’t devour sweet peppers) so I took the remainder home and promptly forgot about them.

Fortunately, they mostly kept their freshness, and I decided to turn them into a pasta sauce.

I roasted as many as were still good, probably about 3 cups before roasting, at 400F until soft and browned; perhaps 45 minutes.

Then I whirred them in a chopper until creamy. Next, I added some nut milk, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, salt, and onion powder until the consistency seemed good and the flavor had some depth to it.

Then I cooked the pasta, drained it, and while it was still warm, added the sauce and mixed it all in.

See? Super lazy and fast.

I did add a couple of fried eggs and harissa on top once served. This is easily vegan if you leave off eggs.

Low waste meal preparation needn’t be complicated. 🙂

Peace and love,

Kristan