Let’s get Fire Wife month started off with something delicious to eat!
You will love this. First of all, it’s super healthy, but secondly not only is ratatouille seriously versatile, it is unbelievably delicious and easy to make. It will also make great use of the rest of your summer vegetables. When you make ratatouille, all of the flavors will blend together perfectly. You can then keep it in the refrigerator and use up over the next few days as a side dish, in a sandwich or in a pasta. Bon Appetit!
The Perfect End of the Summer Ratatouille
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
This classic South of France rustic recipe is perfect for using up the last of your summer veg. Succulent and perfect as a side dish or in a sandwich, this ratatouille recipe will make you feel like all is well and good in the world.
You will need a medium-sized a round casserole dish for this recipe. You are also going to make a tomato sauce to be put on the bottom of the casserole dish before you assemble your ratatouille. Finally, you’ll make a little seasoned olive oil to pour over top of this dish before baking.
Slice Vegetables
Here are the main vegetables you’ll be assembling. Cut the vegetables into ¼ inch thick slices.
1 Sliced eggplant, 4 sliced tomatoes, 1/2 peeled and sliced butternut squash, 2 sliced zucchini, fresh basil leaves, sprigs of thyme.
Tomato Sauce
4 tbsp. olive oil, 1 chopped red onion and 1 chopped red pepper, 1 large can diced tomatoes (796 ml), 1 small can crushed tomatoes, 1 tbsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Sauté the red onion and red pepper in olive oil over a medium heat on the stove until soft. Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, seasonings and stir. Simmer for 30 minutes over a low heat.
Season Some Olive Oil to Pour Over Top of Ratatouille before Baking
Mix up, ¼ cup olive oil (pesto flavored is nice) and 1 tsp. each of dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper. You will pour olive oil mixture over casserole and let sit for 10 minutes. This allows it to pour through, seasoning the vegetables. Feel free to make up extra seasoned olive oil to pour over.
Show Time!
Pour all the simmered tomato sauce over the bottom of the round casserole dish.
Alternate and add the sliced veggies so that they are standing up and going around the casserole. I added the larger veg first like the squash and eggplant, then squeezed the smaller rounds like the zucchini and tomato between the larger slices. I also put the thyme and the basil between the vegetables saving a couple of thyme sprigs for the top of ratatouille.
Once done assembling, pour olive oil mixture evenly over ratatouille and let sit for 10 minutes. Then put foil over top of casserole dish and pop into the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the foil, turn the oven to 375 and continue baking for an additional 40 minutes or less. Keep checking as every oven is different. Happiness is.
Written by : Tara McIntosh
