There is no other dish more classic than Ratatouille. There is a reason that there is a movie named after it! Ratatouille hits all the right notes in terms of flavor, color and simplicity. Traditionally composed of eggplant, squash, zucchini and tomato along with fresh herbs, it is the original veggie dish!
There are many different variations of Ratatouille. It can be diced and mixed or sliced and layered. I prefer to slice the vegetables ¼ inch and arrange them neatly in a pan. Start with a little tomato sauce and then build like so: eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomato and thinly sliced red onion. Some vegetables such as the eggplant may be wider than others. If so, cut in half, or double up on the small vegetables when arranging in pan. Cover and bake! Before you know it you have a beautiful arrangement of flavors and colors.
See below for full recipe.
Ratatouille
8
20 minutes
45 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
1 cup tomato sauce
½ pound eggplant, sliced into rounds ¼ inch thick
½ pound zucchini, sliced into rounds ¼ inch thick
½ pound yellow squash, sliced into rounds ¼ inch thick
½ pound tomato, sliced into rounds ¼ inch thick
1 medium red onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pour tomato sauce into a 3-quart casserole dish
Arrange repeating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes and red onion into the casserole dish. Brush the olive oil over the sliced vegetables. Season with salt and herbs.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Pro Tip: Some vegetables such as the eggplant may be wider than others. If so, cut in half, or double up on the small vegetables when arranging in pan.
