Vegetable Turrets with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Pesto, and a Crispy Topping

We loosely based this recipe on two classics: ratatouille and "poor man's Parmesan." We'll let you in on a little secret: we took some liberties with the latter. "Poor man's Parmesan" is actually toasted breadcrumbs (sometimes with a bit of garlic) used as a substitute for Parmesan cheese. Historically, this was because Parmesan cheese was much more expensive than breadcrumbs. Nowadays, you might do this if you want to eat vegan or just try a different topping. We did cheat a bit and added some Parmesan cheese, but you can certainly leave it out. Either way, it is delicious on this twist on ratatouille, full of flavor and vegetables. Enjoy!

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Spread the cherry tomatoes, 3 peeled garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a baking dish. Roast the cherry tomatoes in the oven for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice the eggplants and zucchinis into thin rounds. Remove the seeds from the bell peppers and cut the flesh into 4 large pieces. Grill the vegetables in batches on a grill pan until they have golden brown grill marks and are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and add the panko. Mince the remaining garlic clove and add it to the pan. Toast over low heat for a few minutes until the panko begins to turn light brown. Transfer the panko to a bowl and mix in the Parmesan cheese.
• Cut the roasted bell pepper flesh into pieces about the same size as the zucchini slices.
• Divide the roasted tomatoes among four plates and build a tower on each plate using zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper slices. Garnish with pesto and the toasted panko. Serve with bread or pasta.

Tips from the author

• Variation tip 1: Build the towers in the baking dish for a spectacular dinner presentation.
• Variation tip 2: Cook your favorite pasta and blend the roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic with an immersion blender to make a sauce. Toss the pasta with the cherry tomato sauce and serve the vegetable towers alongside. Generously garnish with panko and pesto.