Description
This gorgeous, good-for-you baked ratatouille dish is super easy to make! I cook it low and slow for the best texture, but the hands-on time is minimal. Serve it warm out of the oven with a crusty baguette on the side – and maybe a sprinkling of fresh Parmaman cheese. Or try it over quinoa or farro. It’s delicious when paired with a cooked protein, like roast chicken.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 of a yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup organic tomato purée (or 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes)
- 1 large sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- Kosher salt (or fine sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper
For the Vegetables:
- 2 zucchini
- 1 Japanese eggplant
- 2 yellow squash
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 3 small Yukon Gold potatoes (optional)
For the Topping:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1–2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Fresh herbs like basil and thyme if you have them on hand
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, then prepare the sauce. Slice the vegetables while the sauce simmers.
For the Sauce:
- First, combine the olive oil, garlic, onion, and bell pepper in a medium skillet over medium-low heat and cook until very soft (but not browned), about 8-10 minutes.
- Next, add the tomato purée (or crushed tomatoes) and a thyme sprig and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are very soft and the sauce has reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Then season to taste with salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few spins of black pepper). And discard the thyme stem once the sauce is ready.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture and then spread rest into the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish or skillet. A pie dish or any skillet both work great.
For the Vegetables:
- Prep the vegetables while you make the sauce. Remove the ends of the vegetables and then cut them into even slices about 1/16-inch (4 mm) thick using a mandoline (or sharp knife).
- In a glass or ceramic baking dish or stainless steel skillet (avoid cast iron), arrange alternating slices of the prepared vegetables over the tomato sauce, overlapping so that a bit of each piece is visible. You may have a few that do not fit. Arrange in an alternating pattern (I did eggplant, tomato, yellow squash, zucchini, potato.)
- Next, cover the dish with a parchment paper round (or foil) and bake until vegetables are tender, but not soggy, and the tomato sauce is bubbling, about 60 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and continue cooking uncovered for an additional 30 minutes. When done, the vegetables will be cooked through but not browned.
- You can serve the ratatouille right away, with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh herbs (see below). Or store it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Serve it cold or reheat it in the oven (at 350 degrees) until warm.
For Serving:
- In a small bowl, combine the reserved 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Then drizzle the mixture over the ratatouille before serving.
Notes
- Make vegetable prep easy with a mandoline. I like this good, inexpensive one
. (Take extra care with it! I cut my thumb pretty badly once.)
- Use a stainless steel skillet, or a glass or ceramic baking dish. Acidic foods, like tomatoes, can leach metal from cast-iron or copper pans. While the health risk is very low, it can give the dish a noticeable metallic, undesireable taste.
- This dish a great make-ahead option. Ratatouille still tastes great a day or two after it’s made and the flavors have had time to come together.
