Ratatouille (Broiled and Roasted Vegetables)

Guess who’s back? Back again? Jamie’s back…tell a friend! That’s right, I’m back to posting semi-regularly, starting off with revisiting my old ratatouille recipe. This recipe was first posted early in my blogging and YouTube career, and has been in dire need of an update for ages.

The video for this post is pretty long since I included demonstrations of how to cut every vegetable in my recipe for the benefit of any kitchen n00bs to learn how to properly wield a knife. If you’re comfortable in your knife skills, feel free to scrub through to the actual cooking content.

Also, in my video, I did about half my vegetable prep, then started adding things to my casserole dish under the broiler as I completed the next steps in my prep work. You can cut all your vegetables first and then cook your ingredients later, but I wouldn’t cut the veggies more than a day ahead of time. Additionally, I added oil and seasonings before cooking my vegetables. Don’t add oil until just before you begin cooking, or your final dish may be greasy due to your ingredients soaking up all the oil.

Lol, also, as I was putting my finishing touches on this post, my aunt texted me pics of her attempt at my revised ratatouille recipe. I emailed it to her a few days ago because she wanted it after I bragged on my new recipe when I made it for my video. So pics of that convo are below.

Finally, this dish is pretty simple, it’s just a lot of prep work. But it makes a large portion that should last a few days. Also, don’t let that it’s just a bunch of roasted vegetables make you think that it’s boring. This dish is herbaceous, a little smoky, and simultaneously filling but not so heavy that you fall into a food coma.

With all that covered, let’s dive into the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion, medium
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp. dry thyme
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
1-2 zucchini
1-2 yellow squash
1 large eggplant
2 cloves fresh garlic
4-5 tomatoes (Roma or plum recommended)
5-6 leaves fresh basil
½ bunch fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven by turning broiler to low. Adjust top rack to be between the middle and top third of the oven. Lightly grease large glass or ceramic casserole dish with olive oil using a paper towel to absorb extra oil.
Prepare vegetables according to the order they’ll be added to the dish. Seasoned onions and peppers will be first, then zucchini and squash, then eggplant and garlic, and finally the tomatoes.
Dice the onion and bell peppers, then toss in salt, fresh ground pepper, dry thyme, and olive oil to coat. Set aside and continue veggie prep to stay ahead of cooking.
Cut zucchini and yellow squash by chopping off both ends, cutting in half lengthwise, and drawing the tip of the knife lengthwise to cut each half in half. Cut across to create chunks for ratatouille. Lightly drizzle squash chunks with more olive oil to prevent burning, but don’t let vegetables absorb the oil.
Before preparing the eggplant, put the onion and pepper mixture into the casserole dish and distribute evenly across the bottom of the dish. Place dish under the broiler and set an alarm for 10 minutes.
To cut the eggplant: chop off both ends. Cut lengthwise in half. With cut side flat on cutting board, press hand over eggplant half with fingers stretched up. Run the knife parallel to the board about 3/4” up to split the eggplant horizontally. Draw the tip of the knife lengthwise through both layers, following the shape of the vegetable, 2-3 times. Cut across all long cuts to create eggplant chunks. Set aside, DO NOT ADD OIL.
If using fresh garlic from a bulb, press garlic with side of knife to crack each clove and release the outer paper wrapper. Peel the wrapper, then cut the stem end off. Mince by running the knife through the garlic, then scraping into a pile and running through again. Repeat until garlic is correct size. Add to eggplant to be added at same stage.
When alarm for onion and peppers sounds, add squash and zucchini to roasting dish. Add more salt and pepper, and stir well to coat all vegetables evenly. Reset alarm for another 10 minutes.
Dice tomatoes by slicing off stem end. If using plum tomatoes, slice lengthwise, then draw the tip of the knife lengthwise 1-2 times on each half. Slice across long cuts for dice. If using round or “slicing” tomatoes, place cut side down onto board, draw knife parallel to board 2-3 times to create a slicing stack, then cut 2-3 times in each direction from the top down. Set aside.
When alarm for squash sounds, add eggplant and garlic to roasting dish, stirring again. Reset alarm for another 10 minutes.
Pinch parsley leaves from stems. Chop finely for final herb addition. For basil, roll leaves together tightly, then slice across the roll to create fine ribbons (chiffonade). Set fresh herbs aside to stir in last.
When alarm for eggplant sounds, stir in tomatoes and add extra salt and pepper. Change the oven settings to bake at 350°F, and reset alarm for 30 minutes.
When final alarm sounds, remove ratatouille from oven and stir in fresh chopped herbs. Allow dish to cool for several minutes so flavors can combine.
Serve as the main dish or a side dish, topped with feta or on bruschetta, and paired with a medium-body white wine. Enjoy!

I most enjoy my ratatouille topped in some fresh crumbled feta from my local produce market. The mass-produced feta from your standard grocery store will also work, but sometimes I like spoiling myself for less than a dollar more. Fresh feta still has a lot of moisture, is tangier, and has more delicious saltiness than the dry cubed feta crumbles from GrocerMart.

I hope you enjoy making this awesome dish at home! I know I love making ratatouille any time I visit my favorite produce stand, and it’s a great way to get anyone to eat their vegetables.

Please leave your thoughts in a comment below, or get in touch with me directly by filling out the form on the contact page.

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Ratatouille (Broiled and Roasted Vegetables)

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