The Poverty Kitchen

In the next few posts we will assemble a version of Ratatouille. (see the Recipe page)
Once we begin cooking? Almost any stage could be used to create a meal.
That’s the point. I don’t have to create Ratatouille.
I can stop at onions sautéd in olive oil, toss in cooked pasta and top with cheese.
Or onions, zucchini, and garlic if I want more veggies in my pasta.

The Prep:
The first step in several recipes is to ‘pat dry’ one or more ingredients.
For summer squash and zucchini, this involves the use of salt to draw-out moisture
that would otherwise inhibit browning.

Slice the squash in half, lenghtwise.
Then generously salt, and allow to stand while you’re peeling, slicing or chopping your other ingredients.
After 20-30 minutes, wipe dry with a paper towel.
This will remove the accumulated moisture – and – importantly, remove the excess salt.
Slice the squash into ~ 1/4 inch thick pieces (~ 7mm for you metric types)

Heat your pan first, then add your olive oil.
Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Try to avoid excessively browning the onion.

We could just stop here, drain some Penne pasta, and add the pasta to the onion and olive oil.
Toss, plate, and add cheese and serve as a side-dish, or a lite meal.
Oil and sautéd onion.
It’s a building block.