A fresh take on ratatouille

Did I mention it comes together on a sheet pan?

I'm all over the place this week — literally and figuratively. If you’re super-busy too, I bet you can still pull off my recipe for sheet-pan ratatouille.

It comes together pretty quickly and can then be kept on hand for a few days and incorporated into other dishes. Think pasta, eggs, toast topper, etc. 

But if you have a little more time, consider serving it atop a delightful pizza-like socca, or chickpea pancake. This combo is one of my favorites from Veg Forward, and I'm excited to share it with you here today. If you don’t already own my book, it’s not too late to get yourself a copy! The timing couldn't be better, as now is the moment when the farm stands and farmer's markets are overflowing with so much bounty, including all the ingredients for ratatouille — namely and mainly eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. 

I like Japanese eggplant for this recipe, because they're devoid of seeds, hold their shape, and are small enough to be cut into rounds, but any small eggplant can be used; just cut into bite-size pieces. 

The origins of the dish are obvious: it’s a great way to use up the end-of-summer abundance of these particular vegetables. Luckily, they taste great together! 

I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify what ratatouille is and also what it isn’t. Traditionally, what it is is a kind of vegetable stew where each ingredient gets cooked on its own, and then it all cooks together until it forms kind of a delicious mush. It doesn’t look like much, but it tastes great, and it can be served over several days in a variety of ways (like the ones mentioned above).

The very fun and now-classic movie Ratatouille gave people the mistaken impression that a Provençal-style tian is in fact ratatouille. A Provençal tian is made with the same four vegetables, but they’re sliced, layered, and baked gratin-style in a shallow dish.

My version of ratatouille is a lighter, fresher take, where each vegetable retains its own character, though they all roast together on a sheet pan (or two) in the oven. I threw chickpeas into the mix, because they go so well with the socca that I mentioned, and add a bit of protein too. A sprinkle of goat cheese melts as the warm vegetables land, and holds it all in place. It’s kind of pizza-ish, but it’s still a knife and fork operation.

One more thing to note: today, we’re celebrating the 200th edition of Susanality! Thank you so much, dear reader, for being along for the ride.

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Sheet-Pan Roasted Ratatouille with Socca

Serves 4 as a main, or 6 to 8 as an appetizer

Ratatouille is conclusive proof that what grows together goes together. In the classic version, each vegetable is cooked separately and then they are stewed together until creamy and homogeneous. My take is decidedly fresher and faster.

• 1 small Japanese eggplant (4 ounces), cut 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal

• 2 small or 1 medium zucchini (10 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

• 2 small or 1 large sweet red peppers (any kind), cut into strips

• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings

• Half a 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and blotted dry

• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons more for the tomatoes

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

• Freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes (any kind, or a mix), halved

• 2 thick socca (see recipe below)

• 4 ounces soft goat cheese

• Flaky sea salt

• 8 to 10 basil leaves, shredded 

• Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)

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1. Heat the oven to 425°F, with a rack in the middle. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onion, chickpeas, and garlic with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Make sure all the vegetables are well coated. Coat the cherry tomatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and set aside.

2. Roast the vegetables on the baking sheet for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir and turn the vegetables, and scatter the tomatoes on the baking sheet. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the vegetables have browned a little and the tomatoes are shriveled but still intact.

3. Warm the socca in the hot oven for 5 minutes in the skillet you cooked them in or on a small baking sheet and transfer to a serving plate. Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the socca and top with the warm vegetables. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and basil. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Note: Baby zucchini (4 to 5 ounces each) work great and look nice cut into rounds, but if using larger zukes, quarter them lengthwise before cutting them 1/2 inch thick.

Sheet-Pan Roasted Ratatouille With Socca

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Thicker pancakes will stand up better to toppings, especially if they're on the heavy side, while the thinner ones are best for eating on their own.

Socca (Chickpea Pancakes)

Makes 2 thicker pancakes or 3 thinner ones

The main ingredient of this simple home version of the Provençal street snack is chickpea flour, which, happily, has become widely available due to the popularity of gluten-free baking. Torn into pieces, the savory pancakes can be served with chilled rosé or topped with the roasted ratatouille and eaten like pizza.

• 1 cup/101 g chickpea (garbanzo) flour

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup lightly packed (20 g) finely grated Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper

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1. Whisk together the chickpea flour, water, parmesan, oil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Cover with plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. The batter can rest for up to 1 day, refrigerated.

2. Heat the broiler, with a rack 8 inches away. Then heat a 9 or 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and pour in about a third of the batter (scant 1/2 cup) for a thinner pancake or half the batter (3/4 cup) for a thicker one, tilting the pan to cover the bottom evenly. Return to the oven and cook until the pancake is blistered and browned on top, about 6 minutes for thinner socca and 7 minutes for thicker ones.

3. Slide the pancake onto a plate, reheat the pan for a few minutes, and repeat with the remaining batter.

Note: If you don't have a broiler, you can make these on the stovetop, provided you make thin pancakes. (It's too difficult to flip thicker ones.) Heat the skillet until moderately hot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and pour in the batter, tilting the pan to cover the bottom. For thinner pancakes, cook for 3  minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side.

Socca (Chickpea Pancakes)

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Editor: Bridget Venatta