You’ll love this colorful vegetable dish to serve along side just about any main course meat such as ham, beef, lamb, or even fish or chicken. It’s one of my all time favorite recipes from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook. It makes such a beautiful presentation and tastes amazing. I’ve made it much skinnier by adjusting some of the ingredients and adding just a small amount of olive oil and Parmesan cheese. You can leave off the cheese to make it dairy-free and it will still taste delicious. Another skinny step is to first cook some of the vegetables in the microwave to save on sautéing in oil. It’s normally made in a 6-inch springform pan and I’ve made it in a 9-inch springform pan. The larger pan allows more servings. One skinny serving now has only 89 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. This truly is a spectacular vegetable torte that will wow your guests!
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1½ red onions, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 3 red bell peppers, halved, cored and seeded
- 3 yellow bell peppers, halved, cored and seeded
- 1 eggplant (about 2 pounds) unpeeled, cut into ¼ slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (leave out cheese for Passover, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- In a large microwave bowl, add zucchini, onions and garlic. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the top. Microwave for about 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Add peppers and eggplant to the pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over vegetables. Toss well to coat. Spread out vegetables over the entire pan.
- Place in oven and roast for 30-40 minutes until soft but not browned. Remove from oven.
- Place each vegetable in a single overlapping layer. Begin with half the eggplant and next, add all the red peppers. Sprinkle with half the cheese and a little salt and pepper. Add all the zucchini and onions. Next, the yellows peppers. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and a little salt and pepper. Finally add the remaining eggplant.
- Cover the top of the vegetables with a 9-inch round piece of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place another cake bottom, cake pan or plate on top and weight it down with a few heavy cans or jars (over time the weight holds this torte together).
- Place on a larger plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Before serving, place on a platter or cake plate and serve at room temperature or place in the microwave to warm.
Notes
Makes 10 servings (each serving, 1/10 of recipe)
Health Benefits
Onions have a variety of medical effects. Early American setters used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, asthma, and to repel insects. Substances in onions have been shown to promote heart health, reduce cancer risk, promote both digestive and bone health and reduce the effects of inflammatory diseases. Red and yellow bell peppers are good sources of vitamins C and A. They also contain a fair amount of folate and vitamins B6. Eggplant is a nice source of potassium and folate. Zucchini contains folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Tip to Make Dairy-free
You can leave the cheese out all together if you want to make this dish dairy free. It’s still delicious.
Serving Tip
If you’re lucky to have any leftover torte, it’s wonderful scrambled with egg whites for a gourmet breakfast!
Weight Watchers (old points) 2
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 2
Health Benefits
Onions have a variety of medical effects. Early American setters used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, asthma, and to repel insects. Substances in onions have been shown to promote heart health, reduce cancer risk, promote both digestive and bone health and reduce the effects of inflammatory diseases. Red and yellow bell peppers are good sources of vitamins C and A. They also contain a fair amount of folate and vitamins B6. Eggplant is a nice source of potassium and folate. Zucchini contains folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Tip to Make Dairy-free
You can leave the cheese out all together if you want to make this dish dairy free. It’s still delicious.
Serving Tip
If you’re lucky to have any leftover torte, it’s wonderful scrambled with egg whites for a gourmet breakfast!
Weight Watchers (old points) 2
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 2
| SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving (1/10 of recipe) 89 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g protein, 11g carbs, 3g fiber, 243mg sodium, 5g sugar |
| FAT FACTS: for 1 serving of a full fat torte 140 calories, 10g fat, 4g protein, 11g carbs, 3g fiber, 450mg sodium, 5g sugar |
Skinny Facts
Serving: 1servingCalories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 4gFat: 4.5gSodium: 243mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gPlus Points: 2
