French Inspired Ratatouille

Ratatouille just might be one of the most interesting and super delicious ways to get in a few servings of veggies with your evening meal 🍅🍆🧅

INGREDIENTS

For tomato/baking sauce:

  • 2 Tbsps olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced small
  • 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large bell pepper, any color, diced small
  • 1 (14 oz) jar crushed tomatoes with juice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • sea salt and ground pepper, to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon each

For the vegetables:

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 2 medium yellow squash
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 4 red onions
  • 6 Roma (plum) tomatoes
  • pinch sea salt, to taste

For the vinaigrette:

  • 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil, or light olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
  • chopped fresh herbs (I use parsley and dill)
  • pinch of sea salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. In a small jar, combine all of your vinaigrette ingredients. Shake really well until all the ingredients are well incorporated; set aside.
  2. Wash eggplant, squash, zucchini, and tomatoes thoroughly under cold running water to remove any dirt. Allow to thoroughly dry.
  3. Using a sharp chef’s knife, carefully slice them into coin shapes as shown. Try to cut as thinly and evenly as you can. Slice your onion into thin rings.
  4. Alternatively, you can use a mandolin.
  5. Very lightly, sprinkle your veggies with some sea salt.
  6. To make the tomato/baking sauce, heat your oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in diced onion and garlic, sauté until caramelized and slightly brown. Add in diced bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, and your bay leaf. Season with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat until the liquid is cooked off and sauce is thickened, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once your sauce has thickened a bit, discard the bay leaf.
  7. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees f.
  8. Start assembling your ratatouille; pour your tomato/baking sauce into an 8×10 rectangle oven-safe baking dish and smoothly cover the bottom of the dish in your prepared sauce, using a spatula.
  9. Next place your sliced veggies in an alternating pattern, eggplant followed by yellow squash, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes vertically on top of the sauce.
  10. Arrange your veggies as shown in the photos, or make your own pattern. This is the fun part.
  11. Loosely cover the dish with parchment paper or foil and bake at 300 degrees f. for about 2 hours.
  12. Once finished baking, remove the paper from the dish and switch to the broiler. Broil until the top is nicely golden brown.
  13. Prior to serving drizzle evenly with your vinaigrette.
  14. Enjoy!

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