Get out your Le Creuset, friends -- we’re making ratatouille! Just kidding, you don’t need French cookware to make this classic French stew. In fact, there is nothing fussy about ratatouille, which feels fitting for end-of-summer nights when many of us are leaning towards something easy.
You can find a good variety of recipes and cooking methods for ratatouille nowadays, but the ingredient list usually looks similar: a jumble of late-summer vegetables and a few fresh herbs. This dish tastes even better the day or two after you make it, as the flavors develop and meld together. For a light, simple meal, serve it warm or at room temperature with a generous hunk of crusty, toasted bread to make the most of the juices at the bowl’s bottom. You can also serve it sprinkled with Parmesan, over pasta, or with an egg on top.
Ingredients
- 1 pound eggplant, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound zucchini and/or yellow squash, trimmed and diced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 large bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- Olive oil
Preparation
Position one rack in the middle of the oven and one rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until coated. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
In the same bowl you used for the eggplant, toss the zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until coated. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the mixed vegetable pan on the top rack of the oven and place the eggplant pan on the middle rack. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, chop your onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, deep skillet or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned or burned. Add the tomatoes, salt, thyme, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, or as necessary to maintain a very gentle simmer and cover.
When the 15-minute timer sounds, remove both pans from the oven, stir, and arrange them evenly across the pan. Place the eggplant pan on the top rack and the other vegetables on the middle rack. Set a timer for the eggplant for 10 more minutes. When the 10-minute timer is up, remove the eggplant from the oven and set aside.
Set a timer for 10 more minutes and let the other vegetables continue to cook. The peppers should look deliciously caramelized.
Add the cooked eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper to the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to cook gently for another 15-20 minutes until everything is tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings as you please. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the basil.
