ROASTED VEGETABLE NAPOLEONS

Roasted Vegetable Napoleons image

Categories Potato Tomato Appetizer Side Roast Vegetarian Mozzarella Ricotta Rosemary Eggplant Zucchini Winter Thyme Gourmet

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
4 large plum tomatoes(about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
2 medium red onions cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 pound medium red potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
3/4 cup ricotta
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 pound mozzarella, cut into six 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
Accompaniment: orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°F. and brush 2 baking sheets with some of the olive oil.
Arrange as many vegetables as possible in one layer on sheets. Brush vegetables with some remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables in middle and lower thirds of oven, switching positions of sheets in oven half way through roasting, until just tender and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Transfer vegetables as roasted to a tray, arranging them in one layer. Roast remaining vegetables in same manner. Vegetables may be roasted 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, layered between sheets of plastic wrap on trays and covered. Bring vegetables to room temperature before proceeding.
In a small bowl stir together ricotta, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
Put 1 eggplant slice on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture over eggplant. Cover ricotta mixture with 2 potato slices and layer with 2 zucchini slices, 1 onion slice, 1 mozzarella slice, 2 to 3 tomato slices, 2 zucchini slices, and 1 onion slice. Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture over onion and top with 1 eggplant slice. Make 5 more napoleons using remaining vegetables, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella in same manner.
Insert a metal or wooden skewer through center of each napoleon to make a hole from top to bottom. Trim rosemary sprigs to 1-inch taller than napoleons and remove bottom leaves from each sprig, leaving about 1-inch of leaves around top. Insert 1 sprig into each napoleon and bake in middle of oven 5 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and vegetables are heated through.