Overview

Ratatouille is a stew so it can be made infinite ways. This version leaves the vegetables more firm since they are roasted not stewed together.

Ingredients

  • 2 small onions (about 5 oz. each), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
  • 2 red bell peppers (6 to 7 oz. each) cored, and cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
  • 1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb.), peeled if desired and sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick, slices then cut in halves or quarters, depending on size
  • 2 medium zucchini (7 to 8 oz. each), trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 2 summer squashes
  • 15 whole cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1-1/2 lb. total) cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (a chiffonade)
  • 1 jar (32 oz) commercial marinara sauce such as tomato basil

Steps

  1. Prep all the vegetables up front. This recipe cooks everything all at once.
  2. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
  3. Line two large rimmed baking sheets (12×16-inch sheet pans are a good size) with foil or parchment.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the onions, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt. Spread the vegetables evenly over both sheets. Don’t spread the vegetables too thin or they may burn (they shrink a lot as they cook).
  5. Roast, stirring the vegetables a few times and swapping the positions of the pans once, until the vegetables are slightly collapsed or shriveled, starting to brown, and very tender, about 45 minutes.
  6. If the vegetables look like they may burn, turn down the heat or pile them closer together. If they look dry, drizzle on a little olive oil.
  7. Divide the tomatoes between the two pans and continue to roast until the tomatoes soften and shrink and the other vegetables are well-browned, another 30 to 50 minutes. Scrape all the vegetables and any juices into a serving bowl.
  8. Transfer to a stew pot and add the marinara sauce. Bring to a light simmer to warm the marinara sauce.
  9. Toss with the basil, taste for seasoning, and serve warm.

References