Vegetable-loving cooks can make ratatouille all summer long, from the first moment that peppers, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes get glossy and ripe. But I think early autumn is when the dish truly shines.
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It’s partly context. When the evenings turn chilly, tucking into a warm bowl of soft, stewy late-season produce is inherently comforting. And since I roast my ratatouille instead of simmering it on the stove, early fall is maybe the first time since late spring when keeping the oven on for an hour is a pleasure, rather than an ordeal.
Roasted ratatouille is both less work and better tasting than the traditional method. For one thing, you don’t need to stand at the stove stirring a pot all afternoon. And spreading the vegetables out on a sheet-pan gives them the space they need to caramelize all over and develop the concentrated, almost smoky flavor that only proper browning imparts.
The key to a really good sheet-pan ratatouille is nailing both the timing and the texture. The eggplant, zucchini and peppers need to fully brown without charring. Blasting them with high heat gives them color, then dialing back the temperature lets them continue their transformation slowly and evenly. You’re not aiming for merely tender here: These vegetables should collapse into one another, melding into a glorious soft heap. (In my house, we refer to ratatouille as “mushy veg,” which we mean in the very best way.)
Using generous amounts of olive oil aids the cause, turning the vegetables confit-like. And one last crucial strategy is adding the tomatoes partway through roasting. This gives them plenty of time to burst and release their sweet juice, but not enough to evaporate it.
This weeknight version is scaled down from the party-size ratatouille recipes I’ve written in the past. Fewer vegetables create less knife work, and everything fits snugly on one pan to serve three or four people.
While the ratatouille roasts, I use the oven’s other rack to crisp up some canned, spiced chickpeas. Strewn on top of the almost custardy vegetables, they add a snappy crunch, along with protein and heft.
In summer, I often serve ratatouille with a torn hunk of baguette and a glass of ice-cold rosé. But as the weather cools, I swap out the rosé for a light-bodied red. This hearty ratatouille dinner is primed for sweater weather.
Sheet-Pan Ratatouille With Crispy Chickpeas
This colorful, vegetable-filled dish has all the flavors of ratatouille but requires a lot less work to get there. Instead of standing at the stove to cook the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and peppers individually, they’re roasted all together on a sheet pan until they caramelize and collapse, turning silky and sweet. Spiced chickpeas are added to the oven halfway through cooking, giving them a chance to crisp up. Sprinkled onto the vegetables just before serving, they add protein and a delightful crunch.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (about 3 cups)
3/4 pound eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (3 1/2 cups)
1 large red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 thyme or rosemary sprigs (or a mix)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (or use more cumin)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne or hot smoked paprika
Torn basil leaves (or other soft herbs, such as chives, parsley or mint) and lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Arrange racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Spread chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, patting them dry, then let air dry while you prepare the vegetables. The drier they are, the crispier they will get.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the zucchini, eggplant, pepper, garlic, 5 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and spread everything in a single layer. Roast on the bottom rack for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Stir tomatoes and herb sprigs into the vegetables. Scatter onion slices on top, drizzle everything with a little more oil and sprinkle with a little more salt. Roast for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, spread chickpeas on another rimmed sheet pan and toss with remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the cumin and fennel seeds, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
5. Give the vegetables a stir. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
6. Put chickpeas on the top oven rack. Continue to roast, stirring the vegetables once or twice, and shaking the pan with the chickpeas, until vegetables are tender, chickpeas are crisp and everything is golden, 30 to 40 minutes.
7. Serve ratatouille topped with chickpeas, basil leaves or lemon wedges for squeezing.
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