Ratatouille with sausage
12 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | larges | Eggplants; peeled and cut into strips |
| 8 | mediums | Zucchini; cut into 1/2\" slices |
| Flour | ||
| Olive oil; a good fruity extra virgin is recommeded | ||
| 5 | larges | Onions sliced |
| 6 | cloves | Garlic; minced |
| 6 | larges | Green peppers; diced |
| 8 | larges | Tomatoes peeled; seeded and cut into strips |
| 1 | cup | Finely chopped parsely |
| 2 | teaspoons | Oregano |
| 2 | teaspoons | Thyme |
| 2 | teaspoons | Basil |
| Salt and Pepper to taste | ||
| 1 | Dozen sweet or mild Italian sausages | |
| Chopped parsely for garnish | ||
Directions
Dredge eggplant and zucchini in flour. Heat oil in heavy large pan and briefly saute eggplant and zucchini in batches over medium heat for about five minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Saute onion, garlic and green pepper in same oil if needed. Save pan to saute' sausages.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Layer saute'ed vegetables, tomatoes, parsely and seasonings in 6 quarts casserole. Stir gently to mix. Bake, covered 35 minutes.
Meanwhile saute' sausages in the reserved pan until browned. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and cool. Slice ¼ inch thick and return to pan. Saute' slices 2 to 3 minutes more on each side. Add more oil to pan if needed.
After the vegetables have baked 35 minutes add sausages. pushing most of the slices down into the vegetable mixture, but reserving some for the casserole top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Garnish with fresh parsely to serve.
Note: This lusty casserole perfumed with the herbs of Provence becomes a complete main dish when sausages are added. Lots of crusty French and italian bread, a leafy grean salad and a jug of red wine, followed by fruit and cheese complere a menu that could be expanded to serve a multitude.
This is WONDERFUL on cold snowy days and feeds a crowd...coming from Buffalo Bills country (originally) I can tell you that it makes a great Super Bowl supper. *Flavor greatly improves by making casserole 24 hours ahead and refrigerating. Bring to room temperature before reheating.
Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #776 by Dianne Weinsaft <dee@...> on Sep 8, 1997