This recipe was something I created quite a few years back in my restaurant days to serve as a vegetarian entree at a special event in which I needed to fire it quickly and be able to pull off a nice presentation. It can be made ahead of time and re-heated for service. Now, I have re-worked it to include some roasting and balsamic vinegar for extra flavor and zing.
When you are cooking at sea it is important to stock lots of root vegetables and items such as butternut, spaghetti and acorn squash. The length of time these ingredients hold allows you to create fresh food throughout the duration of a long journey. Ratatouille is a classic French dish, usually containing tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, onions and zucchini. The great thing about it is that you can use up any veggies you have that may be “on their way out”. Typically, ratatouille is simmered down like a stew or marinara.
In this version, the eggplant has been quickly roasted. The rest of the veggies were lightly sauteed and then all were combined and ladled into the acorn squash. Since the squash will be roasted for 45 minutes to an hour, these steps keep the veggies from getting too mushy.
These portions served 20 people.
10 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed
3 large eggplant
1 large onion
3 peppers, 1 each green, yellow and red
12 large cloves of garlic, sliced
1 bunch of asparagus, cut to 1″ pieces
2 heads of broccoli, stalks sliced and florets made to be 1″ chunks
5 cups of canned, diced tomatoes and juice + 2 cups for bottom of pan
Balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper
3 lbs. of linguini, cooked al dente
Parmesan cheese
3-4 T chopped fresh Italian parsley
crushed red pepper
olive oil – for saute and for pasta
Balsamic glaze – such as Roland, for finishing drizzle
Prep the eggplant by trimming the skin and slicing the eggplants lengthwise into 1″ slabs. Salt each side of the slices with kosher salt and lay on a paper towel for about 30 minutes. This will bring moisture out of the eggplant so that a firm, meaty texture is maintained. Pat the slices dry and cube the eggplant into 1″ pieces. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, about 2 T of each. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper and lay out on a flat sheet pan. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until edges start to brown.
Saute the rest of the veggies, starting with onions and garlic in a touch of olive oil. Use high heat and add the rest of veggies, cooking until just tender. Combine with the 5 cups of tomatoes and the roasted eggplant and remove from heat.
Before ladling the ratatouille into the acorn squash, slice just a bit off of the bottom of the ridged side so that the squash will stand upright during cooking. Be careful not to slice off too much. Add the 2 cups of tomatoes to the bottom of large roasting pan. Use two pans if needed. Add a few splashes of water to the pan as well to help in steaming the squash. Ladle the ratatouille mix into the acorn squash, cover the pan with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes at 375 degrees. Use a skewer to check squash for tenderness.
To prepare pasta to serve, heat 2 T of olive oil in a large saute pan, on medium-high heat. Add cooked linquini, crushed red pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Saute until pasta is heated through and begins to crisp.
Place a small bed of pasta on a plate with the acorn squash in the center. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and top with more Parmesan cheese.
If all else fails, make the ratatouille and eat it with a hunk of crusty bread and bottle of wine. After being at sea for 35 days, that sounds like the way to go to me!
