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    Home » Main Dishes

    Ratatouille

    Published: Jan 8, 2020 · Modified: May 8, 2023 by Sula · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    If you like plant-based meals, here is a veritable vegetable feast! This Ratatouille (adapted from allrecipes.com) is as colorful as its name and so flavorful you might lose sight of its incredible health benefits.

    Vegetables - size matters

    One thing about planning this dish is vegetable size. Ideally, the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash would all be about the same diameter. But, in the real world, almost impossible. Eggplants are big. I mean, like, watermelon big (Well, not that big, but they do get large).

    yellow squash, eggplant, red pepper and zucchini

    When I find a small one I feel I’ve totally scored!

    Ratatouille is a beautiful vegetarian delight. Combine eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini with red pepper and a light sauce to make a main or side dish.

    Veggie prep

    The most work-intensive step to this dish is cutting the vegetables. Think uniformly thin slices. That’s the goal. The best presentation is having all slices relatively the same thickness and diameter. Since it’s nearly impossible to get equal diameters (as covered above) you are left with two choices: accept the imperfection, or cheat.

    By “cheat” I mean dealing with an oversized eggplant (the usual culprit) by cutting the slices in half or less. Just ensure that the curved side faces up when assembling in the pan. Presentation saved!

    In addition to the eggplant and squash, I like red pepper in my ratatouille. It provides color and sweetness. I’ve found that it’s easiest to to deal with red pepper after all other slices have been placed in the pan. Red pepper pieces are good fillers. They can be easily wedged in between veggie slices to bridge gaps. They work best as half circles or smaller, not full rounds.

    Once the veggies are cut up, it’s time to make the sauce.

    veggies cut up

    Make the sauce

    In a small saucepan, heat a teaspoon of olive oil and add some chopped onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes until onion begins to appear translucent. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and broth or water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

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    Arrange ratatouille vegetables in your pan

    The cooking pan I use for this is a 10-inch round Pyrex, but any pan of similar dimensions or capacity will work. Spray the pan with cooking spray or olive oil then pour in the sauce.

    Begin adding vegetables by layering eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and repeat.

    vegetables arranged in a circular pan

    Make a design to fit the pan, as appropriate. Wedge pieces of red bell pepper in between the vegetable slices to fill gaps and complete the design. Drizzle or brush the tops of vegetables with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme. (Turns out, thyme is great for our skin!)

    Then, cut a piece of parchment paper to just fit over the vegetables, resting on top but not sealing the sides.

    parchment paper covering the dish

    Bake for 45 minutes at 375F.

    Cooked ratatouille

    This ratatouille is delicious served as a main or side dish.

    Shown here with spaghetti squash to make a complete veggie fest!

    ratatouille served with spaghetti squash
    close up of ratatouille with parmesan cheese on top

    Tip: I like to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese to take this over the top.

    More Vegetarian Meal Ideas

    When you find a good eggplant, it deserves becoming a great meal. Try making some aubergine curry for another delicious and healthy vegetarian meal!

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    Cooked ratatouille
    5 from 15 votes
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    Ratatouille

    A veggie feast!
    Prep Time45 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 161kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • 1 small eggplant (1#)
    • 1 yellow squash
    • 1 zucchini squash
    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 6 oz tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 3 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • ¾ cup water or vegetable broth
    • 1 TB olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375F.
    • Slice eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini into thin rounds – about ⅛ inch thick. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and then cut into thin slices.
    • In a small saucepan, heat a teaspoon of olive oil and add some chopped onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes until onion begins to appear translucent. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and broth or water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
    • Prepare baking pan by spraying lightly with cooking spray. Add the sauce and spread evenly in the bottom of the pan.
    • Arrange slices of eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini to fit the pan in whatever pattern desired. Us the red pepper to insert in between the slices.
    • When all vegetables are arranged in the pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper and sprinkle thyme leaves over the top.
    • Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit over the vegetables. Use the paper to loosely cover the vegetable.
    • Bake for 45 minutes at 375F.
    • Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    Note: this does not produce a lot of sauce, such as for pasta. If sauce is desired, I recommend preparing it separately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 1423mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2483IU | Vitamin C: 109mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    Ratatouille Pin

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy Liu Dong

      December 31, 2022 at 5:36 am

      5 stars
      This is so good and tasty, even my husband loves it!
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sula

        December 31, 2022 at 11:02 am

        You're welcome, I'm so glad you enjoy it as much as I do!

        Reply
    2. Yuri

      February 11, 2020 at 12:40 pm

      Thanks for the recipe. Looks and sound amazing. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Sula

        February 11, 2020 at 12:57 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Big Trouble

      January 13, 2020 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      Wow, this looks amazing, Sula! How colorful and healthy! I think putting this over buttered pasta would be so good, too. Yum!

      Reply
      • Sula

        January 13, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        yummy for sure!

        Reply
    4. Texasgirl

      January 10, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      That looks delish!!!!

      Reply
      • Sula

        January 13, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        It is!

        Reply
    5 from 15 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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