STEWED CAULIFLOWER, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, AND TOMATOES

Stewed Cauliflower, Butternut Squash, and Tomatoes image

Yield makes 6 to 7 cups

Number Of Ingredients 11

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 plump cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 small (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 (1-pound) cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-inch florets (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup small capers, drained
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes and their juices, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
1 cup water
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce, or more to taste

Steps:

Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, scatter in the sliced garlic and let it start sizzling. Stir in the onion slices and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the squash and cauliflower pieces, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and the red pepper flakes and use tongs to toss it all together.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and their juices. Slosh the water into the can and add; stir well and cover. When the tomato juices are boiling, decrease the heat to medium-low or low so that the mixture is gently bubbling. Cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue cooking until the stew is reduced and thickened to a good pasta-sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Add the fish sauce, taste, and add more fish sauce and salt if desired.
Eat a cup or two as a vegetarian main course and refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it in cup-size portions for several months.