Egg White Soufflé with Ratatouille

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the vegetables into a 1-inch dice and keep in separate piles. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, 6 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash and peppers, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 minutes. Add the eggplant, tomato, tomato paste and ketchup and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft, 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and white pepper. Spoon the ratatouille into four 8-ounce ramekins.

In a large stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks form. Spoon the beaten egg whites over the ratatouille, gently spreading them in an even layer. Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and bake in the upper third of the oven until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve right away.