Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal vegetable dish that’s typically prepared as chunky and stew-like or thinly sliced and spiraled into a baking dish. Our take on this classic adds a hint of smokiness from grilling and celebrates the textures of the vegetables in each bite.
Grilled Ratatouille with Herb Pesto
Makes about 3 quarts
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¾ cup olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2½ teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
- 5 ripe plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- 2 medium yellow squash, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- 1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch-thick rings
- 1 medium red bell pepper, quartered
Instructions
- Place eggplant slices on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt all over slices. Let stand for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together basil, parsley, garlic, ½ cup olive oil, pine nuts, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper until mixture is almost smooth, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Reserve pesto in a small bowl.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together tomatoes, zucchini, squash, onion, bell pepper, remaining ¼ cup oil, remaining 3 teaspoons salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons black pepper until well combined.
- Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill vegetables in batches until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces.
- In a large bowl, stir together warm vegetables and desired amount of pesto. Serve immediately. Refrigerate remaining pesto in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Salting the eggplant helps remove any bitterness. Toss hot cooked pasta or rice with leftover pesto, or serve it with crusty bread for dipping.
