054 / 75 · Beans, Vegetables and New Traditions

Ratatouille Chickpea Crumb Bake

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish, at least 4 qt/3.8 L;4 generous vegetable-and-chickpea portions · Active 40 min · Total 1 hr 45 min

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Eggplant, zucchini and red pepper roast before joining chickpeas in a thick tomato base. That separate dry-heat stage keeps the crumb layer from sitting above a watery vegetable stew. The name refers to a familiar vegetable combination; this chickpea-topped oven pan is an original supper interpretation.

Jump to ingredients

Drawn roasted ratatouille vegetables and chickpeas beneath loose golden crumbs.

Two trays are useful equipment

Eggplant and zucchini carry a great deal of water. Cut them into similar chunks and spread with pepper on two spacious trays. A mound on one small sheet would steam, and draining it afterward would discard some of the flavor you were trying to develop. Turn once and look for colored edges and nearly tender centers. The vegetables do not need to become dry chips. Prepared weights are taken after removing stalks and damaged parts, so an unusually large eggplant is not an instruction to double its quantity.

Tomato sauce has its own reduction stage

Onion and garlic soften in the skillet while the trays are in the oven. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice and simmer uncovered until they coat a spoon. Chickpeas then warm in that sauce before the roasted vegetables are folded through. Use a broad spoon and avoid repeated vigorous stirring that could turn the eggplant to a paste. A few soft pieces are natural, but the overall filling should still show the three named vegetables as distinct shapes.

Coarse crumbs make a light lid

Fresh coarse breadcrumbs, rather than fine dry dust, are tossed with their small oil allowance. Scatter them with gaps so some tomato remains visible. There is no cheese in this base recipe. The crumbs take color during the final bake while the filling reaches its casserole endpoint. Let the dish settle and serve generous spoonfuls through all the layers. A salad or extra bread can be chosen separately, but these four portions already contain a substantial quantity of chickpeas and vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 10 oz eggplant/aubergine, cut in 3/4-in/2-cm chunks (300 g prepared)
  • 10 oz zucchini/courgette, cut in 3/4-in/2-cm chunks (300 g prepared)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cut in 3/4-in/2-cm pieces (200 g prepared)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (45 ml), divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (150 g)
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (9 g)
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes with juice (14 oz/400 g)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 lb 9 oz/720 g drained total)
  • 1/3 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn (10 g)
  • 1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs (60 g)

Set out

Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 4 qt/3.8 L, Two large rimmed baking sheets, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Large bowl, Small bowl, Broad spoon, Suitable foil if needed, Food thermometer

Allergens

Wheat; check bread labels for other allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss eggplant, zucchini and pepper with 20 ml oil and half the salt in the large bowl. Spread across two sheets in a single layer. Roast 25–30 minutes, turning once, until nearly tender with colored edges.
  2. Meanwhile heat 10 ml oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Soften onion 8–10 minutes, add garlic 30 seconds, then tomatoes, thyme, remaining salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 10–12 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Add chickpeas and simmer 3 minutes.
  3. Take sauce off heat. Fold in basil and roasted vegetables gently. Lower oven to 400°F (205°C). Spread hot filling in the baking dish and put the dish on one of the rimmed sheets.
  4. Toss crumbs with remaining 15 ml oil in the small bowl and scatter over filling without pressing. Bake 20–25 minutes until crumbs are golden and the center and several other spots reach 165°F (74°C). Shield loosely if crumbs color too quickly. Rest 5 minutes before dividing into four portions.

Keep the soft vegetables recognizable

Fold from the bottom with a broad spoon after roasting. The chickpeas can withstand stirring, but tender eggplant and zucchini deserve a gentler assembly.

A useful detail

The 105-minute allowance includes chopping three vegetables, two-tray roasting overlapping the sauce, assembly, the final bake and rest. Fresh coarse crumbs and a reduced tomato base create a different finish from a dry fine-crumb coating.

Another way

  • Use 300 g yellow summer squash in place of zucchini, keeping the same prepared weight and separate roast. Keep both trays spacious rather than increasing the vegetable pile.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat to 165°F (74°C). Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 2 months for quality, thawing in the refrigerator; crumbs will soften.