Annette Atwood’s Italian heritage gifted her with a balanced sense of what’s traditional and correct and what’s new and worth trying. When she happened upon a camera-ready Spiral Ratatouille recipe, she tried it, tweaked it, and delivered it to our studio. It was not only ready for its close-up, but it was downright booming with bright flavors and inviting textures.
SPIRAL RATATOUILLE RECIPE
2 eggplants, long and narrow
6 plum tomatoes
2 yellow squashes, long and narrow
2 zucchinis, long and narrow
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell pepper, diced
1 Cubanelle pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
28 oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into 1/8-inch discs.
2. In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil. Add onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook until tender. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir for a minute or two until bubbling. Decant sauce into a large round braising pan with lid.
3. Starting at the outer edge of the braising pan, place vegetable slices in a spiral, in a regular, repetitive sequence: eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini.
4. Once the surface is covered with the vegetable spiral: in a small bowl, stir together basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Brush over the vegetable slices.
5. Place lid on the braising pan and place in oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and let roast for another 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not overdone.
STORY AND STYLING BY KEITH RECKER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE
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