Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille

I'm not a big fan of ratatouille, but my husband loves it and who am I to complain if this dish will make him eat more veggies!

This recipe is from Molly Wizenberg's , A Homemade Life.

1 lb eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1-inch thick rounds
Olive oil
1 lb zucchini, trimmed, halves lengthwise, and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half-moons
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 tsp salt
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup finely chopped basil

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400F.

Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl, and brush onto the eggplant. Flip the slices and brush the second sides as well, taking care that each has a thin coating of oil. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through, until soft and lightly browned on each side. Remove from the oven and cool. Cut into rough 1-inch pieces. Set aside. (You can do this a day or two ahead, refrigerating the eggplant until you're ready to use it. It'll make the final dish a little quicker to prepare.)

Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch over or large, deep skillet. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and just tender, 10-12 minutes. Remove it from the pan, taking care to leave behind any excess oil, and set it aside.

If there is no oil left in the pan, add about 1 tablespoon; if there is still some remaining, proceed to the next step. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, thyme, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini, stir to incorporate, and cook until everything is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Taste, and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Discard the bay leaf, and stir in the basil.

Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with additional salt for sprinkling.

Note: Ratatouille is ever better on the second day or the third. If you can, plan to make it ahead of time, so that the flavors have timed to meld and ripen.