Slow Cooker Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille

Plate of Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille and orzo

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Slow Cooker Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille

A hearty, easy to prepare slow cooker dish that combines Italian sausage meatballs with Mediterranean flavors of eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, tomato, onion, garlic and basil.

Prep Time15

Cook Time6 30

Total Time6 45

Course: Main dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Mediterranean Meatball Stew, Slow Cooker Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille, Slow Cooker Veggie Meatball Medley

Servings: to 6 servings

Calories: 534kcal

Author: Lee Clayton Roper

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 pound mild Italian sausage pork or turkey, casings removed
8 ounces baby portabella cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small eggplant cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 zucchini cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic or 1 teaspoon chopped shallot
1 teaspoon dried oregano divided use
1 teaspoon salt divided use
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper divided use
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped (see Note)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Cooked orzo or rice

Instructions

In a slow cooker, pour 1 tablespoon oil into the bottom. Shape sausage into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper (makes around 30 meatballs).
Place half of the meatballs into the pot. Add half the mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini. Add all of the onion and garlic (or shallot), 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Layer the remaining ingredients on top, in the same order: meatballs, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, oregano, salt and pepper.
Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
Uncover and stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for about 15 minutes.
Stir in basil and lemon juice. Serve with cooked orzo or rice.

Notes

Gluten free: Serve with rice or gluten free orzo.

Variation when using an Instant Pot: Cook on medium (or normal) slow cook setting instead of low, and use an Instant Pot tempered glass lid, or a regular saucepan lid instead of the tight fitting lid used for pressure cooking. No need to add more liquid (often required for Instant Pot slow cooking), as the ingredients in this dish naturally produce plenty!

Note on tomatoes: When tomatoes aren’t in season, substitute 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained.

Note on nutritional information: Pasta is not included in the calculation.

Note: This recipe was originally published in my cookbook Fresh Tastes.

Nutrition