Name: Slow-Cooker Ratatouille
Total time: 4 h
Ingredients: 2 pounds eggplant , cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 3 zucchini (8 ounces each), quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 red bell peppers , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 onions , chopped; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; Salt and pepper; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Why This Recipe Works

The slow cooker is tailor-made for long-cooked stews, but this Provençal dish is chock-full of watery vegetables, and the cooker doesn’t allow for any evaporation—a recipe for bland, runny ratatouille. Draining the canned tomatoes was a good start, and adding some flour at the outset helps, too. In the end, tossing the chopped vegetables with olive oil and a little sugar and broiling them before they go into the slow cooker not only adds flavorful browning but also drives off moisture, creating a stewy—not soupy—dish. Garlic and herbes de Provence season the ratatouille as it cooks, and Parmesan cheese and fresh basil finish it off.

Before You Begin

Herbes de Provence is a French blend that usually includes rosemary, marjoram, thyme, lavender, and fennel. If you can’t find it, you can use 1 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and dried thyme.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Combine eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, 6 tablespoons oil, sugar, garlic, and herbes de Provence in large bowl. Divide vegetables evenly between prepared sheets and spread in single layer. Broil, 1 sheet at a time, until vegetables begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling. Transfer broiled vegetables and tomatoes to slow cooker.

Stir flour, 2½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper into vegetables in slow cooker. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 4 hours on low. Stir in Parmesan, basil, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.