After having such a terrible experience cutting the hot peppers for this dish (which I didn’t end up putting in here due to the heat!), it seemed fitting that I post the recipe this week. The irony being that my hands are still sore and I could barely type this up. But if you have garden vegetables that you are trying to use up, this recipe is for you!
Ratatouille is an traditional French end-of-harvest vegetable stew that can be served as a side dish, or on it’s own with pasta, rice or bread.
It’s a great way to use up all those tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini and peppers from your garden right now. This is some of the incredible bounty that we’ve collected from our garden and Garrett’s parents. I was glad to find a way to use it all up in a delicious dish! (Please note the disasterous hot peppers on the left. I did NOT add them once I realized how hot they were.)
Ratatouille is low in calories, but rich in flavour. It’s easy to pull together and a great make-ahead dish that tastes even better the second day. Hot or cold – it’s always great with a little Parmesan too.
It can be made in a skillet or dutch oven on your stove top, or baked in the oven for 3 hours if you have the time.
What you’ll need:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 small eggplant, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped (red, yellow, orange or green)
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 yellow summer squash, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- A few springs of fresh oregano
- 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or about 1 1/4 cups)
- handful of fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Stovetop Method:
In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat half of the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft and starting to turn golden. Add in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
Add in the eggplant and cook for another 5 minutes until it goes soft. Add more olive oil as needed to prevent sticking.
Add in the peppers, zucchini, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until everything is soft and starting to golden.
Add in the tomatoes and cook until the mixture is thick and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Oven Method:
- Layer all the ingredients (except salt) in a large dutch oven or casserole dish.
- Press down if needed.
- Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil, then cover and bake at 350°F for 3 hours. Occasionally baste when liquid starts to form.
- If there is too much liquid forming, uncover for the last hour to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
- Mix gently and sprinkle with salt before serving.
Leftover Ratatouille is great as a pasta sauce, pizza topping, on bread with cheese or even part of a stuffed pasta like ravioli or canneloni.
Printable Version
