French Tian with an Italian Twist
Layered eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, and basil leaves are smothered with marinara and mozzarella in this tian with an Italian Twist.
Ingredients
Quick Marinara Sauce
- 1 14 oz (400gram) can diced Italian tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Ratatouille
- ½ cup kosher or chunky sea salt
- 1 medium-size eggplant sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 medium-size zucchini sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced 1/4" thick
- 2 large tomatoes sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 large bunch fresh basil leaves
- 2 cups grated mozzarella
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- freshly grated black pepper to taste
Instructions
Quick Marinara Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and dried oregano, cooking until fragrant.
- Pour in diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and allow to simmer for about five minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and set aside until needed.
Preparing the Vegetables
- Place sliced eggplant and zucchini into a colander or strainer with a shallow bowl underneath. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of course salt, mixing well to coat all the veggie pieces. Leave to sit at least 30-minutes or up to two hours before use to sweat the water out of the vegetables. Do not skip this step.
Ratatouille Assembly
- Carefully rinse the eggplant and zucchini slices, removing excess salt. You do not need more salt in this dish.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (200 C).
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large casserole dish or oven-safe skillet, coating the entire dish.
- In the bottom, spread a large spoonful of the marinara sauce.
- Layer in the vegetable slices, alternating each layer with eggplant, zucchini, tomato, red bell pepper, and basil leaves. Repeat until you have used all the vegetables.
- Tuck any remaining basil leaves in-between the layers and then pour remaining marinara sauce over the vegetables. Shaking bowl slightly to work the sauce down into the layers.
- Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and then top with grated mozzarella.
- Pop into the oven for 25 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender and cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving with a leafy green salad and crusty bread for sopping up the amazing juices.
