Ratatouille Deep Dish Pizza

My eggplant was finally ready to pick !!

Start by making the ratatouille.  You can make it a day or two before you want to make the pizza.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cubed
1 medium zucchini, sliced or cubed
2 green peppers, sliced
1 tsp capers (optional)
1  1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry basil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsps fresh parsley

pizza dough (see recipe below)
1  1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
parmesan cheese

Slice the eggplant in 1/2 inch thick rounds, salt both sides and lay between sheets of paper towel.

Place a board with something heavy on top for 20 minutes. This will draw the bitterness out of the eggplant.

Wipe the salt off.

While waiting for the eggplant you can blanch the tomatoes (or have them done the day before like I did).  Take a pot of water and bring it to a boil.

Place a few tomatoes in at a time and boil 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and submerge in cold water.  The skins should easily peel off.  Just cut out the stem area and cube.

In a large heavy saucepan lightly brown the onion and garlic. Add eggplant and tomatoes, then zucchini and peppers.

Capers are not traditionally in ratatatouille, but I like them. Bring to a boil and add seasonings.  Cover and simmer until tender not mushy, about 20 minutes.

If you were serving the ratatouille on rice or with a nice crusty bread it would be ready right now.

But because I wanted to fill the deep dish pizza I removed the cover and cooked it on medium high heat for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid.  I refrigerated the ratatouille overnight so the flavours could blend, but you could continue making the pizza right now.

I used this pizza dough recipe

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2014/03/this-is-best-pizza-ever.html

Once the dough is ready spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray.  Press the dough onto the bottom of the pan then let it rest a couple of minutes.  Continue pressing it up the side of the pan (it won't go all the way up) and into the corner as much as you can.

Take half the ratatouille that you made and pile it into your pan.  Keep the other half of the ratatouille for a second pizza or use it for another meal.
Top the ratatouille with 1  1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan. You could also drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 425F for 30-35 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes before cutting.