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 parmesean cheese. Or try it over quinoa or farro. It’s delicious when paired with a cooked protein like chicken or fish.
Ingredients
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 of crushed tomatoes)
- 1 large sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (or fine sea salt like Real Salt) and freshly ground black pepper
For the Vegetables:
- 2 zucchini
- 1 Japanese eggplant
- 2 yellow squash (or more zucchini)
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 3 small Yukon Gold potatoes (optional)
- Kosher salt or sea salt
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
- Freshly grated real parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Prepare the Sauce:
- In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, cook olive oil, garlic, onion, and bell pepper until soft (8-10 minutes).
- Add tomato purée and thyme sprig; simmer on low until very soft and reduced (10 minutes).
- Season with salt and pepper. Remove the thyme stem.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of sauce for serving, then spread the rest in an 8-inch (9 or 10-inch can work) glass or ceramic baking dish or stainless steel skillet (avoid cast iron).
Prepare 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).
- 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, and potato).
Bake:
- Cover with parchment paper or foil and bake for 60 minutes.
- Increse the oven temperture to 350°F (177°C), remove the cover, and bake for an additional 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and turning golden brown around the edges. Baking this low and slow brings out incredible flavors of the veggies.
Serve:
- In a small bowl, mix the reserved 2 tablespoons of sauce with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper.
- Drizzle over the ratatouille before serving.
Enjoy hot or cold, and store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat at 350°F if desired.
Notes
Make vegetable prep easy with a mandoline. I like this good, inexpensive one
I included a sauce recipe, but you can substitute that with 1.5 cups of your favorite red sauce if you have some on hand.
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.
