Qualinesti Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1 yellow squash, sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant, sliced ¼ inch thick
• 4 plum tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil, half the garlic, and the thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant and the garlic just begins to sizzle, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the skillet over medium heat and allow the oil to warm until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, sugar, and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt, if necessary, and set aside off the heat to cool slightly. Add 2 tablespoons of the basil and stir to mix; spread and smooth the mixture into an even layer in the skillet.
4. Working in concentric circles from the edges of the skillet toward the middle, neatly shingle the sliced zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and tomatoes, alternating and overlapping the vegetables and packing them tightly in a single layer. Drizzle the reserved garlic-thyme oil evenly over the vegetables and sprinkle with about ¾ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Cover the skillet and bake until the vegetables begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking until the vegetables are very tender and bubbling around the edges of the skillet, about 20 minutes more.
5. Rest the dish for 10 minutes, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.