Roasted Ratatouille with Basil Aioli Recipe

Roasted Ratatouille with Basil Aioli

6 Servings

Eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers and zucchini are the stars of the Provençal summer garden and are featured in the famous vegetable stew, ratatouille. Here, the vegetables are roasted instead of stewed, which intensifies their flavor. The crowning touch is a basil-garlic topping called aioli.

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch thick rounds
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch wide strips
8 small red-skin potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 onion, cut into ¾-inch-thick rings
8 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved
5 sprigs fresh rosemary
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

Basil Aioli

½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. minced garlic or to taste
Pinch salt
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ cup soy mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large roasting pan, combine eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, potatoes, onion rings and garlic. Scatter rosemary sprigs over top. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Roast vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes, until almost tender, 25 minutes. Add tomatoes. Continue roasting, stirring once or twice, until all vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.
Meanwhile, make aioli: In food processor, combine basil and garlic and process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice. Gradually add mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is well blended.
Remove vegetables from oven and transfer to serving platter. Serve warm with aioli on the side.

May 1998