Ratatouille Spirals

By ltrodrigu

This is ratatouille imagined as beautiful little rolls of eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and mozzarella, all baked in a tangy, fresh tomato sauce.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beefsteak tomatoes, scored with an “X” on the bottoms
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups cubed country bread
• 2 1/2 pounds firm medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 2 1/2 pounds small eggplant, preferably Japanese, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 3 roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 2-by- 1/2-inch sticks

Details

Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium pot of boiling water, blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds; drain. Slip off the skins and halve the tomatoes crosswise. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, keeping the juices and seeds.

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic and crushed pepper and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and juices and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toast for about 15 minutes, stirring once, until golden.

In 2 separate colanders, toss the zucchini and eggplant with 1 tablespoon of salt each and let drain for 15 minutes. Shake out the excess liquid and pat the slices dry.

Spoon the tomato sauce into a shallow 2 1/2-quart baking dish and scatter the bread cubes on top. On a work surface, top each zucchini slice with a slice of eggplant; blot dry if necessary. Place a strip of roasted pepper and a stick of mozzarella at one end of each stack and roll up. Stand the rolls in the baking dish and brush with oil.

Cover with parchment paper. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender and the ratatouille is bubbling; remove the parchment halfway through baking. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.