Remy’s Ratatouille is a fantastic seasonal dish to make at this time of year. Walking through my local farmer’s market picking up fresh early autumn produce is always inspiring, but having kids that are vegan, vegetarian and so forth, this is truly a winner for everybody!
I always thought of ratatouille as a stew with chunks of veggies simmered in tomato sauce. No way would I have eaten that as a kid! After watching the movie Ratatouille with my kids, I created this dish for them hoping they would actually try it. And guess what? They loved it! I suggest watching the movie with your kids, have them help layering the veggies and I bet they will eat it too.
This lighter version is definitely as comforting as the original stew, but for many it may not be a full meal. For my vegan/vegetarians I served a loaf of home made bread, but for those of us with heartier appetites I have served either grilled sausages or roast chicken breasts. I have also made this in individual ramekins which is an extra special way to say you care to someone.
The Method of Remy’s Ratatouille
iingredients:
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- Japanese eggplant
- tomato
- onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- fresh thyme
Steps to make Remy’s Ratatouille:
Slice your eggplant, zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes on a mandolin if you have one. Alternatively you can use a food processor if you have the attachment for slicing, or of course a knife. They should be about 1/8″ thick.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent and add to bottom of baking dish.
At the outer edge start arranging the veggies in an alternating pattern. (I did eggplant, zucchini, squash then tomato).
Keep circling around until the dish is filled.
Sprinkle olive oil, salt and fresh cracked pepper over top. Pull thyme leaves off of stems and sprinkle over top.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
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Cook’s Notes:
Tips for success:
Line up your veggies in rows to make it easier to grab them and use like sized slices.
recipe Variations:
Add 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper to the onions and garlic.
Adding a 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon sugar will make this a little bit more like the base you would find in a stew.
Try sprinkling a mix of panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese over the top before baking for a little crunch texture.
Cut up the leftovers and add to a stock based soup.
serving suggestions:
Any type of protein (chicken, beef, pork, sausages or seafood) would round out the meal.
storing:
Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 2-3 days.
The Essentials:
If you make this Ratatouille and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars!
Ratatouille
This Ratatouille dish was inspired by the children's movie!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus another tablespoon)
- 1/4 cup vidalia onion (fine dice)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 1 medium eggplant (sliced 1/8″ thick (if the fat end of the eggplant is too large, slice in half))
- 1 medium zucchini (sliced 1/8″ thick)
- 1 medium summer squash (sliced 1/8″ thick)
- 2 roma tomatoes (sliced 1/8″ thick)
- thyme leaves removed from 6 stems (leave whole)
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare all vegetables. (a mandolin is the easiest way to do the eggplant, zucchini, squash and tomato, but a food processor or knife will do)
- Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add the onion mixture to the bottom of your baking dish.
- Start alternating your vegetables working from the outside in. (I take an eggplant, then a zucchini, the a squash and last a tomato in my hand then lay them down together.)
- Sprinkle a tablespoon of olive oil over the top, season with salt and pepper and then thyme leaves.
- Bake for 30 minutes
Additional time may be added to prep time if you have to cut all your vegetables by hand.
Try another fun dish with your kids: https://comfort4thesoul.com/kid-friendly-hot-dog-hand-pies/
This looks so delicious and colorful! I must try making it before farmers market season ends. Love vegetarian recipes
Thank you so much Emily! I’m sure you will love it!