Grilled Ratatouille

Ingredients:
2 japanese eggplants (or one regular eggplant)
1 zucchini
3 tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or any other herb you like)
salt and pepper
1/2 box orzo pasta, prepared according to box instructions, drained, and put in a serving bowl
1 aluminum pie pan with holes punched in the bottom OR, if you have one, one of those veggie pans for cooking small veggies on a grill

First, cut the eggplant and zucchini into thin pieces long enough that they won't fall through the grill. Pierce the tomatoes with a fork several times. In a bowl or a ziploc bag, mix together enough olive oil to coat the veggies, the rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the veggies and let them sit a few minutes to marinate.

Dice the onion and garlic and put them in the pie pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

Put the veggies on a hot grill and cook until they're soft (and the skin on the tomatoes starts to split). The pan of onion/garlic will take at least 20 minutes to get good and soft, depending on how hot your grill is. Once the veggies are cooked, chop the tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini into bite-sized pieces, and add to the bowl of pasta. (Make sure you save all the juices from the tomatoes.) Add the onions and garlic, toss well, and serve. You can add the olive oil the veggies were marinated in if the sauce is too dry.


Posted by: Erika

Ratatouille

I served it over penne pasta. Also, my hubby isn't too big on veggies, so I added some Italian sausage to it for him.

1 med. eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
2 zucchini, quartered and chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 links Italian sausage, casings removed
2 sprigs rosemary stripped and leaves chopped (all the recipes I found actually called for thyme, but I didn't have any, so use whatever you like better)
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
salt & pepper
olive oil

Heat a couple tbsp of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over med-high. Brown the sausage, then add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened. Add the eggplant and 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Cover and cook until the eggplant begins to soften. Add the zucchini and 1/4 cup more chicken broth. Cover and cook until zucchini begins to soften. Add the tomatoes and rosemary. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until everything is cooked through, adding a little more chicken broth if necessary. Stir in the chopped basil a minute or two before serving.


Posted by: Erika