Eat Healthy and Cheap
Ratatouille Tian
A tian turns ratatouille from a stew into a plated dish: the vegetables are sliced thin enough to fan into tight, standing rings instead of collapsing into each other. The technique that replaces oil here is the coulis underneath, a base of toasted tomato paste and crushed tomatoes that keeps every slice moist as it bakes, so the vegetables caramelize at the edges instead of drying out. Covering the dish for the first half of baking traps enough steam to cook the eggplant through before the foil comes off and the tops brown.
Ingredients
- 1 Yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 cup Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- 2 Zucchinis, sliced into rounds about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick
- 1 Eggplant, sliced into rounds about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick
- 3 Fresh tomatoes, sliced into rounds about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick
- 4 sprigs Thyme
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a wide, oven-safe skillet or the base of a shallow gratin dish, sweat the onion in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Push the onion to one side and set the tomato paste in the dry spot. Let it sit undisturbed until it darkens to brick red, about 2 minutes, then stir it through. This is the only browning step in the whole dish, and it is where the savoriness comes from with no oil in the pan.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and herbes de Provence. Simmer 5 minutes, until the coulis thickens slightly. If you built it in a separate pan, spread it evenly across the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch (23 to 25 cm) gratin or pie dish.
- Slice the zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes into rounds as thin as a coin, about 1/8 inch (3 mm). A mandoline keeps them even, but a steady knife works too. Even thickness matters more than extreme thinness: uneven slices cook unevenly.
- Stand the vegetable slices on their edges in the coulis, alternating zucchini, eggplant, and tomato, packed close together in tight concentric rings working from the outside in. Packing them tight is what holds the fan shape once you cut into it.
- Tuck the thyme sprigs between the rings and grind the pepper over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. The foil traps steam so the eggplant cooks through without oil to carry the heat into it.
- Uncover and bake 20 minutes more, until the vegetable edges have browned and the coulis bubbles at the rim. Uncovering only for the second half lets the tops color and concentrate instead of drying out from the start.
- Let the tian rest 10 minutes before serving so the slices set. Discard the thyme stems, drizzle with the red wine vinegar, and scatter the parsley over the top.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 95 calories, 3 g protein, 6 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
