Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Step 2

Peel the eggplant, if desired, or leave some of the skin on in strips. Trim off the stem and sliced into quarters lengthwise, then slice into 1-inch thick half moons.

Step 3

Put the eggplant in a large bowl with the zucchini, bell pepper and onion. Drizzle with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and the chopped thyme and toss together.

Step 4

Pour the tomato puree into a 4-5 quart casserole or baking dish. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, red and black pepper and spread over the bottom of the dish.

Step 5

Arrange the vegetables in the dish in one layer. Top with the sliced tomatoes and thyme sprigs. Bake 30-35 minutes. The juices should be bubbling and the eggplant tender when pierced with a the tip of a knife. Remove the thyme stems (you can crumble the leaves over the dish first).

Step 6

Sprinkle the goat cheese over the ratatouille and drizzle with the pesto. Serve warm or at room temperature.