This rustic dish takes advantage of fresh eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes which are often available in abundance at the end of the summer season. Smarts: If you want to save time and / or want to make a thicker sauce, substitute canned, diced tomatoes instead of fresh in this recipe (use a 14 oz / 397 g can of diced tomatoes for 4 servings).
Onions / Bell peppers / Garlic - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating before continuing with prep.) Prep as directed. Combine onions and bell peppers. Store garlic separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Eggplant / Zucchini / Tomatoes - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
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Spread eggplant and zucchini out in a single layer on a sheet pan (use two if needed to prevent overlap). Brush vegetables on both sides with some oil and season with some salt and pepper.
Roast eggplant and zucchini until tender, 20 to 30 minutes (depending on thickness of slices).
While vegetables roast, heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and then onions and bell peppers. Saute until vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
To onions and bell peppers, add garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes with a pinch of salt. Saute for 1 minute more.
Add beef with a pinch of salt and stir for 4 to 5 minutes to get it started cooking.
Stir in tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer. Simmer ragu until the beef is cooked through and the flavors have had time to develop, ~10 minutes.
Taste ragu and season with some salt and pepper.
Arrange roasted eggplant and zucchini on serving plates (bonus presentation points for overlapping / alternating them). Spoon ragu over top and enjoy!
Glad we made it with linguine -- seems too liquidy for penne. The sauce tasted fresh, but needed far more flavor. Maybe double the spices? I liked the beans for heft, but was overall just a kind of bland.
I added squash and zucchini. I didn't think it was blah, but I tasted it before I served it, too. The sauce wasn't super thick, but it worked well with rigatoni (which I had instead of penne). Not bad.