I love the versatility of roasted vegetables. They really do wonders to elevate any meal and their sheer simplicity makes them a breeze to prepare. Take them one step further and layer them into a beautiful roast vegetable stack, almost like a cake, and you’ve got yourself the most beautiful vegetarian centerpiece to ever grace your dinner table. The colors of each layer are visually stunning, not to mention the succulent flavors of each vegetable. Omit the parmesan cheese for a totally vegan option. You can serve this on its own with a simple salad or beside a plate of bresaola and cheese. It also goes beautifully with grilled meat, chicken or white fish such as sea bass.

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplant, sliced into into 1/2 inch rounds (skin on)

2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise, about 1/8th of an inch thick (skin on)

4 medium bell peppers – a combination of red, yellow, and or orange -kept whole

2 leeks, green and white parts with the touch outer skin removed, sliced and chopped,

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 cup grated parmegianno regianno

good olive oil – approximately 1/2 cup

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper

Optional: fresh basil and aged balsamic vinegar (to serve)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius (425 Fahrenheit).

In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with approximately 1/4 cup of olive oil and the oregano, making sure they are well coated. Season with 2 teaspoons salt. Do the same with the zucchini slices, but reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon and most of the oregano.

Lay the eggplant on a large baking sheet along with the peppers and roast in the oven until the peppers are soft and blistered, and the eggplant slices have browned on both sides. This should take about forty minutes.

For the zucchini, roast in the oven in a separate baking sheet OR cook on the stove in a grill or frying pan. If roasting in the oven, remember that the zucchini will cook quicker than the eggplant and peppers so keep an eye out.

Once the peppers have roasted, place them in a bowl while still hot and cover tightly with plastic wrap. This will allow the skin to steam which will make it easier to remove. Once they have cooled enough to handle, carefully slide off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Tear them apart gently in half or thirds.

While the vegetables are cooking, heat a large frying pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for thirty seconds. Add the leek and a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally until the leeks are soft and start to caramelize, about fifteen minutes.

Assembling the roast vegetable stack:

Line a 9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap (a round or springform pan also work well). Place each vegetable in a single layer, starting with the half the eggplant, then half the peppers, then half the zucchini. Add the leeks between every second or third layer and sprinkle with parmesan and black pepper. Repeat until you have finished all the vegetables.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and place a weight on top to compress the vegetables slightly. You can use cans or bags of beans for this. Place on a large plate in the refrigerator until completely cold.

When you are ready to serve, drain any liquid that has accumulated on the plate, remove the plastic wrap, and very carefully invert onto a serving platter.

If desired, garnish with fresh basil leaves, a little aged balsamic vinegar, and lashings of parmesan cheese.

Cut the stack like a cake into slices and serve.

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