Ratatouille Recipe

A celebration of fresh summer vegetables, ratatouille stands as a testament to the magic that happens when you combine simple but quality ingredients together. It represents the best of French Provencal cooking.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 medium to large eggplant (, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (, divided)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 yellow, orange or red bell peppers (or combination) (, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 medium zucchini/courgette (, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 medium yellow squash (, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (can use an additional zucchini instead))
• 4 cloves garlic (, minced)
• 1 medium yellow onion (, chopped)
• 2 pounds Roma tomatoes (, blanched, skins removed, and crushed by hand to make a chunky sauce)
• OR 28 ounce can quality plum tomatoes (, crushed to make a chunky sauce)
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (, or any combination of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (, plus more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 450 F / 230 C. Place the diced eggplant in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and toss to coat the pieces. Spread the eggplant out in a single layer on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping after about 15 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and nicely browned. Set aside.
2. 2Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan or Dutch oven and cook the peppers until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and cook the zucchini and yellow squash until tender, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the peppers.
3. 3Heat a tablespoon of olive in the pan and cook the garlic for a minute or two until very fragrant. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes and herbs. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the sautéed peppers, zucchini, squash, and eggplant to the pan and stir to combine. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the ratatouille is nice and thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some good crusty bread. Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as an appetizer or side.