Goat Cheese & Sausage Layered Ratatouille

This dish is a spin on a ratatouille - mainly because I had a good amount of goat cheese and squash in the fridge that would have gone to waste if I didn't use it. It's hearty, so flavorful and full of nutrient dense, whole foods - which is what I strive for in my recipes. I eyeballed pretty much everything so these measurements are just a rough estimate.

Ingredients

• 2 zucchinis

• 2 yellow squash

• 4-5 San Marzano tomatoes

• 2 hot Italian sausages

• 1 4oz goat cheese log

• Balsamic vinegar - about a tablespoon

• Olive oil

• Fresh Dill - about 3 sprigs

• Fresh parsley - about a tablespoon

• Fresh Basil - small cluster of leaves

• Fresh garlic, minced

• Zest of half a lemon

• Red pepper flakes - about a teaspoon

• Salt/Pepper

Recipe

1. Start by slicing the zucchini, squash and tomatoes into thin round slices. Slice the sausage into round slices as well. Lay the squash and zucchini out and press a paper towel into them to absord the moisture, let sit for about 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Chop the herbs and garlic (leave half of the basil for layering) and zest your lemon. Combine herbs, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and set aside.

4. At the bottom of a large cast iron or round baking dish, layer 2/3 of the goat cheese and spread to distribute throughout the whole dish. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle the herb and lemon zest mixture over it - leaving some of the mixture out for the top.

5. In a spiral direction, layer the zucchini, squash, tomato and sausage until the dish is filled.

6. Leave a little gap in the middle to fill with remaining goat cheese and herb mixture. Add the remaining basil leaves on top and drizzle the olive oil over the whole dish. Bake in the oven covered for an hour and then uncovered for an additional 25 minutes.

   
   

Serve with crostini or any type of bread and enjoy!