Roasted Ratatouille with Pancetta Stuffed with Goat Cheese

As I mentioned last week, I am "cooking the book," Everyday Dining with Wine. One thing I am finding I like about this book is that it emphasizes wine-friendly combinations of flavors more than it teaches novel cooking methods, so the ideas are easily adapted and don't require you to closely follow a recipe. An example of this, probably my favorite to date, is roasted ratatouille. Since the kid's movie this summer, ratatouille has been at the forefront of food blogs everywhere, though I never jumped on the bandwagon until now.

This roasted version appeals to me simply because roasting is my favorite method of cooking any and all vegetables. Brocollini? Yup. Cauliflower. Done it. Asparagus? Always. Brussels sprouts? My favorite. You get the idea... What's not to love about a high oven temperature's way of pulling out deep, nutty flavors and caramelizing vegetables, leaving a crunchy brown crust? Exactly.

The addition of high quality sherry vinegar, crispy pancetta and tangy goat cheese make this particular ratatouille a home run.

Roasted Ratatouille with Pancetta Stuffed with Goat Cheese
Any mix of the following: yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, all diced the same size (I used one eggplant, 1 yellow squash, and 2 small zucchini)
1 shallot, diced
2-3 T sherry vinegar
extra virgin olive oil, enough to coat vegetables
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
soft goat cheese
pancetta
fresh parsley

Toss the diced vegetables and shallot with enough olive oil to coat and several tablespoons of sherry vinegar. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and roast in a roasting pan for about 40 minutes (I think I used a temperature of 450, but I'm not sure). To ensure even browning, stir vegetables every 10 minutes.

With the goat cheese, form small patties the size of the pancetta. Sandwich the goat cheese between two slices of pancetta and cook in a skillet on medium-high, about 2-3 minutes per side or until the pancetta is crisp.

Top the ratatouille with the goat cheese stuffed pancetta and fresh chopped parsley and serve. The vegetables would be equally good if you sprinkled them with crisped pancetta and crumbled goat cheese, but I thought the patties made for a more unique presentation.

Leftovers? Use them for an omelet!