Ratatouille With Goat Cheese
Seasonal Vegetables Pair With Rose And Grenache
This is a great late summer dish you can make through winter, swapping out ingredients as they become available. The key to pairing this dish with wine is in adding the goat cheese topping. It provides the needed creamy mouthfeel to balance with the acidity in either the Mathis Rosé de Grenache or Mathis Grenache. Serve alone or as a side dish.
Serves: 6 [Download Ratatouille with Goat Cheese Recipe PDF]
INGREDIENTS
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling1 lb. eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
5 lg. garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
CUT INTO ½-INCH DICE:
1 zucchini1 yellow squash
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
2 lbs. tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
1 cup loosely packed shredded basil leaves (you may substitute dry flakes, be generous!)
½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ cup crumbled aged goat cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the eggplant and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add one-third of the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a large bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the casserole along with the zucchini and yellow squash and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add another one-third of the garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetables to the eggplant.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the casserole, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, two-thirds of the basil and the reserved vegetables and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes have broken down and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil along with the lemon zest and juice. Transfer to bowls and sprinkle with the goat cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.