Ra·ta·tou·ille: : a seasoned stew made of eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, squash, and sometimes meat.
Inspired by the Disney Pixar film, Ratatouille, I decided to create my very own version of Ratatouille. Many of the recipes require making a homemade pasta sauce for the base of the dish. If you follow along my recipes, then you already know that I love finding ways to incorporate convenience into my “cooking.” I even have a term for this that I completely made up known as, “schmooking.” It’s like cooking but just a little easier and that is exactly how I created this version of Ratatouille as well as a beautiful (and tasty) zucchini-squash vegetable wreath.
In this version of Ratatouille, I did not incorporate green bell peppers and instead substituted for zucchini. It turned out absolutely delicious! I invite you to try the recipe below for your next sit-down dinner but it also is a great and gorgeous dish to take to a dinner party!
If you are an avid pasta sauce maker and completely dislike using jar pasta sauce, then you may want to skip over this easy to make recipe.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 2 Eggplants
- 2 Zucchinis
- 2 Yellow Squashes
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 Onion
- 1 Jar Tomato Garlic Pasta Sauce
- Pinch of Salt & Pepper
- 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
- Shaved Parmesan – Optional
- Fresh Basil- Optional
What To Do
Preheat oven to 375.
Step 1- Carefully cut vegetables into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Step 2- Pour pasta sauce into a round baking dish and layer sliced vegetables on top of the pasta starting from the outside of the dish and working your way towards the middle. I used a pattern for the dish’s aesthetic. My pattern consisted of eggplant, onion, yellow squash, green zucchini, tomato and repeat.
For the zucchini- squash wreath, I repeated the same process with the pasta sauce and simply alternated layering my zucchini and squash.
Step 3- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top of each dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 4- Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Optional- Top with fresh basil and shaved parmesan cheese.
Enjoy and remember, “Anyone Can Cook!”
