• Preheat oven to 375°F.

Prepare the Base

• Heat the olive oil in your cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 - 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic
• Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, basil, and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
  1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon fresh basil, salt and pepper

Arrange the Spiral

• Pick up a slice of each vegetable in a sequence (ie, zucchini, squash, eggplant, tomato) and stack them in your hand. Start at the outer edge of your skillet and lay the stack against the edge, standing them upright but slightly leaning.
  2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 1 Chinese eggplant, 8 Roma tomatoes
• Continue following the curve of the pan until you have completed the outer circle. Create another circle inside the outer circle. Finish with a stack of a few of the veggies in the very center, filling the gap.

Season, Bake, and Serve

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil (3 tbsp), thyme, garlic, and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle this mixture evenly over the top of the ingredients.
  3 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, salt and pepper
• Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle the size of your skillet and lay it directly on top of the vegetables.
• Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. The veggies should be very tender, and the sauce should be bubbling.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil (or basil leaves) and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.
  1 tablespoon basil, coarse sea salt