Ratatouille
Fresh, zesty squash layered in a savory tomato base.
I never thought that I would love vegetables so much, that I would eat a dinner composed of only that. Inspired by the Pixar movie Ratatouille, I decided to give it a go. The layering does take some patience, but don’t worry if it’s a little messy; it will still taste great!
The Sauce
Before you begin, think about the consistency that you will want your tomato sauce base to be. I prefer the sauce to be on the thicker side, so that it really coats the squash. If you prefer the sauce to be a little thinner (this is great if you plan on dipping bread in it!), I have you covered too.
For a thick sauce, you can simply use tomato paste to start your base. It is already thick and you can thin it out to your preference. You can also go the fresh tomato sauce route, but let it simmer longer until it is at your desired consistency. For a thin sauce, you will just remove the fresh tomato sauce from the heat before it is too reduced, or you can use a can of ready-to-cook tomato sauce. I really like the quality of Contadina brand.
Whether you chose fresh tomatoes, canned tomato sauce or tomato paste- put it in a small pot with a splash of olive oil. You may need a bit more if you chose tomato paste. If you are going with fresh tomatoes, finely dice them before putting them in the pan (for an extremely smooth sauce, remove the skin first).
Add one diced onion, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. If you are using fresh tomatoes, use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. This can also be done in a food processor and then transferred to the pot. Simmer until desired consistency.
The Recipe
While your sauce is simmering, begin slicing your squash, eggplant, tomatoes, etc. If you have a slicer, this will be super easy. If not, carefully cut your chosen squashes into 1/8” slices. I typically use zucchini, yellow squash and Roma tomatoes. Traditionally, eggplant is also used but I haven’t tried it yet. I will soon, and come back up with an update!
Spoon your tomato sauce into the bottom of an 8” or 9” round pan until it is evenly coated, about 1/8”- 1/4”. Begin layering your squash slices. There is not an exact order that you need to do this in, but I like to think about getting a bit of every flavor in each bite. I alternate yellow squash, zucchini, yellow squash, zucchini, tomato. Lightly drizzle some olive oil across the top and sprinkle a bit of salt, pepper, basil, oregano and thyme.
Cover it with foil and place in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and return it to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes. Optional: I love goat cheese, so around the 5 minute mark, I add some goat cheese crumbles to the dish so that they get soft and melted. You can also just add them to your individual plate.
Let cool for a few minutes before serving because the sauce base will be boiling hot. I love complimenting this dish with a bold red wine and some garlic bread!
Ratatouille
Ingredients
- Tomato product for the sauce base- This can be 4 or 5 fresh Roma tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, or a can of tomato paste) Read note below about choosing based on desired consistency.
- Olive oil
- One large onion, diced
- 1-2 teaspoons Basil
- 1-2 teaspoons Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1-2 teaspoons Minced garlic (or more because there's no such thing as too much garlic.)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 medium yellow squash
- 2 or 3 small Roma tomatoes
- Optional: Eggplant, Goat cheese
Instructions
- Before you begin, please read the note below about choosing your tomato base. The tomato product will determine the thickness of your sauce base.
- Put your chosen tomato product in a small pot with a splash of olive oil. You may need a bit more if you chose tomato paste. If you are going with fresh tomatoes, finely dice them before putting them in the pan (for an extremely smooth sauce, remove the skin first).
- Add one diced onion, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper.
- If you are using fresh tomatoes, use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. This can also be done in a food processor and then transferred to the pot.
- Simmer until desired consistency.
- While your sauce is simmering, begin slicing your squash and tomatoes. Traditionally, eggplant is also used but I have not yet tried it! Carefully cut your chosen produce into 1/8” slices.
- Spoon your tomato sauce into the bottom of an 8” or 9” round pan until it is evenly coated, about 1/8”- 1/4”.
- Begin layering your squash slices. There is not an exact order that you need to do this in, but I like to think about getting a bit of every flavor in each bite. I alternate yellow squash, zucchini, yellow squash, zucchini, tomato.
- Lightly drizzle some olive oil across the top and sprinkle a bit of salt, pepper, basil, oregano and thyme.
- Cover it with foil and place in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and return it to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Optional: Around the 5 minute mark, you can add some goat cheese crumbles to the dish so that they get soft and melted. You can also just add them to your individual plate.
- Let cool for a few minutes before serving because the sauce base will be boiling hot. I love complimenting this dish with a bold red wine and some garlic bread!
Notes:
Before you begin, think about the consistency that you will want your tomato sauce base to be. I prefer the sauce to be on the thicker side, so that it really coats the squash.
For a thick sauce, you can simply use tomato paste to start your base. It is already thick and you can thin it out to your preference. You can also go the fresh tomato sauce route, but let it simmer longer until it is at your desired consistency. For a thin sauce, you will just remove the fresh tomato sauce from the heat before it is too reduced, or you can use a can of ready-to-cook tomato sauce. I really like the quality of Contadina brand.