Last Night's Dinner: Greek 'Ratatouille' Casserole

Inspired by the "Vegetable and Garbanzo Bean Casserole" in Vefa's Kitchen, which I'm cooking my way through at a snail's pace, I made "Greek 'Ratatouille' Casserole" last night.

Just as it sounds, it involves tomato, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper, and I add portobello mushrooms and garbanzo beans, too. Chop everything up but the beans and put it all (except for the tomatoes; reserve them) in an oiled (or buttered) 2.5-quart casserole dish. No need to go too small--chunky's fine--but definitely try to make everything approximately the same size. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Whip up a super-quick chunky tomato sauce by sauteing onions and garlic in olive oil then adding the chopped tomatoes and some oregano, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper. When done (about 15 minutes) pour over top of your veggies.

Bake the casserole uncovered in a 375-degree oven for about 50 minutes. Sprinkle on some grated cheese, preferably kefalotyri, but Parm works fine.

We ate it with flatbread, cheese, olives, and a side salad, but you could try spooning it over bulghur or orzo to make a complete meal.