Ratatouille... not just a cute movie :-)

Ever since I saw the animated movie "Ratatouille," I have wanted to try my had at making the dish from which the popular movie got its named.  The name Ratatouille sounds rather complicated, and therefore I was under the impression that this French creation was not to be attempted by amateurs in the kitchen.  Yet, after doing a little research, I found that making Ratatouille is not difficult at all, and, in fact, is quite simple for the average cook to master at home!

A few nights ago, I returned from the grocery store with fresh cherry tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, green peppers, onions, and garlic... everything I needed to make Ratatouille!

Here is the recipe I made... which is (again) another marrying of a few recipes found online that sounded fabulous:

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Ratatouille


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large eggplant, sliced into 3/4 inch disks
2 small zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 green pepper, sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1- 8oz. can Hunt's Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Step 1:  Sprinkle both sides of eggplant, and cut sides of zucchini generously with salt.  Press between two thick layers of paper towel and let drain for at least 30 minutes!

Note: If I've learned anything from my experiences cooking with fresh eggplant and zucchini, it's that it is imperative to remove as much of the moisture from the vegetables prior to the cooking or baking process as possible.  If you do not take this step, you will end up with a soggy mess instead of what you intended to make.   

Step 2:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a medium size saute pan over medium heat.  When hot, add in the sliced onions, sliced green pepper, and dry spices.  Saute for 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and the tomato sauce.  Simmer mixture over medium heat for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce a bit.

Step 3:

Rinse the zucchini and eggplant under cold water to remove the salt, then squeeze all of the excess water out of them using paper towels.  Slice the zucchini into 3/4 inch thick chunks, set aside.  Slice each eggplant disk into 4 equal chunks, set aside.  Rinse the cherry tomatoes, set aside.

Step 4:

Spray a large loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.

Begin layering the ingredients, beginning with a thin layer of the onion and pepper mixture on the bottom.  Layer half of the eggplant, half of the zucchini, and all of the cherry tomatoes on top of the onions/peppers.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.  Repeat, layering more onion and pepper mixture, then the remaining eggplant and zucchini.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Top off with the remaining onion and pepper mixture and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.

This picture does not do it justice!

Step 5:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Then remove the foil cover and bake for another 30 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven to sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over the top, then return it to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Vegetable goodness...mmmmm!

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No matter how haphazard the Ratatouille may look in my picture, it tasted amazing!  The vegetables were perfectly cooked, still maintaining a slightly crisp texture.  The mozzarella cheese brought everything together nicely and added some "curb appeal" to all those veggies!  I highly recommend trying this dish next time you have any fresh veggies on hand.  The next time I make Ratatouille, I would love to add some fresh mushrooms and yellow zucchini/squash for an added pop of color!

Alongside the Ratatouille we enjoyed chicken breasts that had been marinated in parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil.  We paired the meal with a lovely Spanish Tempranillo that complimented the flavors very well!

Hehe... double wine glasses! Is that anything like a double-rainbow?! :-o 

Happy Eating!

Librarian turned Foodie