Ratatouille, Take 2

Take 1 was delicious, but not so aesthetically pleasing. Didn't make the cut for the blog! This one is somewhat presentable, although using yellow squash and/or yellow and red bell peppers would give it even more aesthetic value. This is what the finished product looked like.In Take 1, I had ignored the instructions to use a large skillet to saute each vegetable separately before putting it into the large pot. The zucchini got way overcooked and a lot of them disintegrated. So this time I followed directions. Here you can see my two pans: one for the individual saute and one for combining all the cooked veggies.
Still, the zucchini and eggplant got a bit over done. I think next time I need to follow the directions more closely--and only brown the vegetables before adding them to the pot rather than cooking them more fully.

Another problem is that I have trouble chopping my vegetables into even cubes! Something else to work on I guess.

I also ended up adding about 4 tablespoons of olive oil to each batch of eggplant just 'cause that stuff soaks up so much oil. I don't mind though; makes it taste good. I mean seriously, this dish is all veggies so what's a little olive oil?

I love this dish. My family and I ate it as a side dish with grilled chicken and pork and also as a snack in the afternoons. My parents said it looks like pinakbet! And it does have some of the same veggies. I guess it's Italian pinakbet!

Recipe
Adapted from Summer Vegetable Ratatouille at allrecipes.com

1 onion, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, cubed
2 zucchini, cubed
2 green bell peppers, seeded and cubed
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Lower burner to medium-low or low.
   
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the zucchini in batches until slightly browned on all sides. Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic. (Really, just brown the veggies. They'll have time to fully cook later.)
   
3. Saute all the remaining vegetables one batch at a time, adding 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. (You may need more for the eggplant as those buggers really suck up the oil.) Once each batch has been sauteed, add them to the large pot as was done in step 2.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.