How do you slice thinly vegetables, put them on top of an appetizer, and then add a thick red sauce many herb, as well as a creamy topping? It’s a delicious Oven-roasted Ratatouille also known as “the vegetable dish that vegetable haters won’t be able to get enough of.” Although this take on ratatouille isn’t the most traditional however, I believe you’ll be able be in love with it. It sort of is like pizza but made from really beautiful vegetables (and it definitely made my home scentlike pizza)

WHAT IS RATATOUILLE?

Ratatouille is a traditional French dish made from stewed vegetables like tomatoes as well as eggplant, zucchini and onion. It also contains bell pepper. It’s hearty, comforting, and is perfect to smother with a slice of crispy bread from a bakery or pouring over the top of a bowl of polenta. Similar to many dishes that’ve been in use for centuries there are a variety of versions of ratatouille. I certainly took mine in the opposite direction.

Instead of simmering the vegetables together in a pot I decided to cook them in an oven-roasted Ratatouille, which is a very popular alternative to stewed versions. It’s not only oven roasting the vegetables is gorgeous and beautiful, it’s also a bit less labor-intensive than simmering the vegetables in the pot, which is something I love. I made sure to add the marinara sauce in the casserole’s bottom that will eventually mix with the juices of the vegetables, creating an amazing sauce (get some bread to dip it in). Finally, I added cheese, which isn’t the norm with ratatouille however, it sure was delicious! It really gave the pizza-like effect.

WHAT SIZE VEGETABLES TO USE

This recipe is very adaptable. I’ve listed approximate weights for the veggies below however, you are able to choose any size to hand and any size you can fit into the baking dish. A word of caution: once cut, the amount of vegetables will always be greater than what you expected therefore, you must be towards the smaller vegetables.

You don’t need to arrange the vegetables together or alternate seamlessly inside the recipe. Simply put the slices and you’ll be fine! I can assure you that it will taste delicious, even if it’s not perfect.

WHAT KIND OF BAKING DISH TO USE

The dimensions that you require is likely to vary in proportion to how big your vegetable however, I’d suggest you use something that is in the range of a 9”x11 rectangular casserole dish or a 3-quart round dish. It is possible to make your dish from ceramic, glass or stainless steel.

HOW TO SERVE OVEN ROASTED RATATOUILLE

Oven-roasted ratatouille is a wonderful side dish to roast or barbecued meats, such as the Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Garlic Butter Baked Cod and the Herb-Roasted Chicken Breast. It is also possible to serve it as a part of a vegetarian dish by serving it alongside something like a creamy and rich rice dish or served in an ice cream bowl.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup marinara sauce ($0.50)

One yellow onion ($0.25)

1 – eggplant (about 1lb.) ($1.49)

1 zucchini (about 1/2 lb.) ($0.71)

1. Yellow squash (about 1/2 1 lb.) ($0.55)

3 Roma tomatoes ($0.87)

1 tablespoon olive oil ($0.16)

1/2 tsp dried, chopped basil ($0.05)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano ($0.05)

1/8 teaspoon Black pepper that is freshly crushed ($0.01)

1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)

1 cup shredded mozzarella ($0.94)

1 Tbsp of chopped parsley (optional) ($0.09)

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 400oF. Cut the yellow onion thinly. Slice the zucchini, eggplant as well as yellow squash and tomatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Cut any pieces that have greater size into quarter-rounds.

Pour the marinara into the base of large, wide casserole dishes. Sprinkle the onion slices on the top.

Start by arranging the pieces of sliced zucchini, eggplant squash, tomatoes and eggplant in the dish, standing on their backs, and then in an alternating fashion until all the pieces are eaten. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables, and then sprinkle the basil, oregano pepper, salt and oregano on the top.

Place the dish in the oven and cook the vegetables for about 40 minutes. When the 40-minute timer is up, take the casserole from oven. Sprinkle the cheese shredded on top. Place the casserole dish back in the oven for 5 minutes to ensure that the cheese has melty and creamy.

When the roast is done, add chopped parsley on top Then serve.