Ratatouille
For most of us who grew up watching Pixar movies, Ratatouille first brings to mind a very charismatic sewer rat who also happens to be a chef. While this is perhaps the cutest version of ratatouille out there, ratatouille is also a delicious vegan dish that can star as the main course or be a scrumptious side dish.
Ratatouille is surprisingly simple but yields a stunning result. The aesthetic of ratatouille all comes from patience in its preparation. Thinly slicing the vegetables to create the dishes iconic concentric circles takes time but is extremely satisfying. The simple Italian flavors from the vegetables come together so beautifully and the presentation makes for a perfect photo-op.
Ratatouille is delicious by itself, with a big slice of bread to soak up the juices, with some cheese on top, or even over pasta. No matter how you want to enjoy it, I highly recommend this summer stunner!
A few notes:
While fresh basil is traditional, I actually ran out of it before preparing this dish and they didn’t have any at my local grocery store, so I replaced the basil with a basil pesto that I had on hand (#UseItUp!) and it turned out great.
I couldn’t find thin eggplants, so I folded the slices from a larger eggplant and it worked out all right.
Depending on how densely you pack the vegetables and how large they are, you may end up with a lot of sliced veggies left over. These are great to use up in eggs or a stirfry, but if you want to avoid having leftover pre-sliced veggies I would recommend only slicing half in the beginning and then doing more halfway through the recipe if you need them.
Ingredients
Time: 1.5 hours
2 yellow squash
2 thin eggplants
2 zucchini
6 roma tomatoes
8 cloves of garlic: minced
1 onion: diced
2 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow): diced
2 cans of diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons: Fresh basil (or 16 leaves)
2 tablespoons: Fresh parsley
2 tablespoons: Thyme (fresh or dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat the oven for 375˚F (190˚C).
Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini thinly into approximately 1mm rounds and set aside.
Make the sauce: Heat your olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped bell peppers until soft in olive oil, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir and remove from heat, then add your basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
Arrange the sliced veggies in an alternating pattern (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini, repeat) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Make the herb seasoning: In a small bowl, mix together the basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spoon the herb seasoning over the arranged vegetables.
Cover the pan with foil (or lid) and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
Serve while hot as a main dish or side. I love to eat it with thick pieces of toast. Enjoy!
Best Practices:
As always:
Try to bring your own reusable bags when you go shopping for these ingredients, and choose grocery stores or markets that are engaged in their community.
Choose storage containers that will help you make the most of your leftovers! This yields a lot of food so you don’t want to worry about any of it going bad!
These ingredients have been chosen with several things in mind:
All of these vegetables are available throughout the summer and can often be found locally in your area. Eating seasonally can reduce the impact of your food.
This recipe is vegan but still hearty and can really fill you up. Opting for plant-based foods whenever possible reduces your carbon footprint significantly. Even if you are not vegan full-time, going plant-based for as many meals as possible can have a large impact.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know! If you really loved it, share it on social media and tag us (@groundedgrub), or, better yet, share it with your friends and family!
