Easy Ratatouille Recipe
This easy ratatouille recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up a bounty of summer produce. All of the vegetables go straight onto the same baking pan and right into the oven, where they cook until succulent and tender. Tossing the vegetables with more olive oil once they come out of the oven allows them to marinate and meld, and a touch of balsamic vinegar provides sweetness and acid. This easy ratatouille can be served as a side dish, or it can be spooned over fish, chicken, pasta or grits (click HERE to get my creamy grits recipe!). One of my very favorite summer meals is to brush slices of country bread (or baguette slices) with olive oil, toast or grill them until crisp, rub them with garlic, then top them with creamy cottage cheese and the ratatouille. It’s a fabulous appetizer or a healthy build-your-own lunch or dinner!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
Ratatouille
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small eggplant (about 8 ounces), diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves, lightly smashed and peeled
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
For serving (optional)
- Toasted or grilled bread
- Hood Cottage Cheese with Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (if you don’t have an 18x13-inch baking sheet, use 2 pans).
- Put the onion, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, grape tomatoes, garlic cloves, thyme sprigs and rosemary sprigs on the prepared baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar. Toss well to coat. Spread the veggies in an even layer (it’s okay if the vegetables are touching and overlapping). Roast until the vegetables are tender and the tomatoes have popped, stirring twice during cooking, about 35-40 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables (and any liquid on the pan) to a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The ratatouille can be served warm or at room temperature. For a delicious meal or appetizer, grill or toast bread, spoon on cottage cheese, then pile the ratatouille over top (watch the video above to see how I do it!). YUM!
Notes
Do Ahead: The ratatouille can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Tips:
- Chop all of the vegetables into similarly sized pieces. That way they will cook evenly and at the same rate.
- Use one 18x13-inch baking sheet or 2 smaller baking sheets.
- It’s okay if the vegetables are overlapping slightly and touching.
- Once the vegetables come out of the oven, immediately scrape them into a large bowl and add more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The olive oil will help draw out the flavors, allowing the vegetables to marinate and meld.
- The ratatouille is even better a few hours or even a day after it’s cooked!