Ciauredda al Forno con Mozzarella (Baked Rustic Vegetables with Mozzarella)

If ratatouille and eggplant parmesan had a child, it would be this recipe. This rustic, vegetable and fruit forward southern Italian dish is satisfying all on its own. On second thought, some fried sourdough or Italian bread would go well with it too.

Ingredients

1lb of Italian eggplant, peeled and cut into 2” strips

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow zucchini, halved and sliced (or 1 cup of cubed and cooked butternut squash)

1 cup spinach

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup of store bought marinara (or 4 plum tomatoes, diced)

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

4 oz part-skim mozzarella, cubed

¼ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp dried parsley

¼ tsp dried thyme

⅛ tsp dried oregano

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

Optional ⅛-¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Finely grated pecorino romano and parmigiano reggiano

Whole wheat bread crumbs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 415°F.

2. In a medium to large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the eggplant and the red bell peppers and saute for 5-7 minutes until browned and tender. Add in the onions and continue to cook until translucent. Season to taste.

3. Lower the heat and add the zucchini, garlic, dried herbs, and optional red pepper flakes. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Increase the heat and add in the chicken broth and marinara (or plum tomatoes) cook until reduced by half and the sauce thickens. Swirl in the butter and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Season to taste.

4. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the whole wheat bread crumbs to cover the top (as much as you desire), then evenly spread out the cubed mozzarella, and sprinkle with both pecorino romano and parmigiano reggiano. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

5. After 15 minutes, increase the temperature to 425°F and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve!

   Note: This is also be made with your favorite whole grain add straight to the skillet, or you can add in cooked grass-fed ground beef to make it heartier.