Bell Pepper

Wow-atouille

by:
June 14, 2011
0
0 Ratings
Wow-atouille
  • Serves 8 as a soup, 6 as a pasta sauce for an entrĂ©e
Author Notes

I don't like eggplant. I'm also not the biggest fan of zucchini. However, I wish I loved them both. This recipe, which is my take on the classic ratatouille with a spicy kick (hence the 'wow'!), was one of my attempts to train myself to like the above vegetable. I'm slowly coming around to zucchini. Eggplant... we'll see. However, with the long slow simmer, both vegetables practically melt into this great soup! I also use this recipe as a pasta sauce. —CarlaCooks

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 2 bell peppers (green, red, yellow, or a combination)
  • 2 medium-sized onions
  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 - 1 teaspoons dried red chili flakes, to taste
  • salt and pepper
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2.5 ounces tomato paste/concentrate (one of the little tins of paste)
  • 3/4 pound spiral-shaped pasta (fusilli or rotini), if you are making the wow-atouille as a pasta sauce
Directions
  1. Chop the zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and onion into small pieces, about 1/2 inch cubes. Add the vegetables to a large pan (I used a Le Creuset bouillabaisse pan).
  2. Seed the tomatoes, placing the seeds and accompanying juices into the pan. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces, about 1/2 inches. Add to the pan.
  3. Finely mince the garlic and add to the pan. Season the vegetable mixture well with salt and pepper. Add the chili flakes (a little goes a long way since this will be simmering for a while!).
  4. Pour in the wine, water, and olive oil into the pan. Toss the vegetables well so everything is coated in the seasoning and liquids. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for a minimum of 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. The vegetable will release a lot of liquid.
  5. Add the tomato paste/concentrate 10 minutes before serving, mixing to incorporate. Check and adjust the seasoning.
  6. If using as a pasta sauce, cook the pasta until 1 minute short of al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the wow-atouille. Toss to coat the pasta and let it cook for another minute. Serve with some full-fat cheese (I love Havarti). If serving as a soup, serve hot or cold with fresh bread.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • susan g
    susan g
  • Droplet
    Droplet
  • CarlaCooks
    CarlaCooks

Popular on Food52

4 Reviews

susan G.
susan G. July 7, 2011
Try Caponata -- http://www.food52.com/recipes/12663_caponata, and a few other here on the site too. My husband came unwillingly to these vegetables, and now caponata is an easy sell, and he's the one who usually cooks it.
I like the "Wow" factor here! Have to make this one.
 
CarlaCooks
CarlaCooks July 8, 2011
Thanks for sharing the caponata recipe, susan g. It looks fantastic, especially for a nice summer picnic. I'll be sure to try it soon.
I hope you like the wow-atouille. Similar to your caponata, it's become a household favorite. We don't get a lot of opportunity to eat spicy food in Denmark, so whenever I can sneak in some heat, I do :)
 
Droplet
Droplet July 7, 2011
Awhile back I saw this recipe by Gourmet magazine. I happen to like eggplant a lot, but somehow I can't get past the idea of making something sweet out of it. If you are brave enough you could try it if you are having a hard time with it otherwise. Just thought I would forward it to you :
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/08/boozy-eggplant-jelly-bomboloni
 
CarlaCooks
CarlaCooks July 8, 2011
Wow, eggplant doughnuts? THey could gross, but the photos and the recipe makes it look pretty good. I just might have to try this! Thanks for passing the recipe along to me.