During the heady days of summer, when we’re bursting at the seams with fresh produce, I normally make at least one batch of ratatouille a week. It’s really the only way I’ll eat eggplant or zucchini, and the roasted version I make is really delicious.

But then, we hit the breaking point. Larry will ask me to stop making ratatouille, he’s sick of it (we go through the same thing in the winter with braised greens). No big deal, except I really don’t like eggplant or summer squash.

I hit on an alternative solution while browsing through Ripe again. An eggplant romesco sauce! Perfect. It’s similar to ratatouille, but without zucchini and it’s thickened with almonds and a bit of bread. I made it straight from the recipe this first time, but I think it’s a perfect place to hide some of that summer squash.

The sauce is great over pasta, but I kept thinking I wanted to add it to a wrap with some chicken. Larry liked it with some cheese mixed in. It makes a good dip, too.

Find the recipe posted on Serious Eats.

• Eggplant Romesco Rigatoni (Ripe, p. 244)