Oven Roasted Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a French, vegetable stew that is most often cooked over direct heat for 35-45 minutes with constant stirring. A hearty dish, it is great for fall because it makes the most of the waning season of homegrown summer squash, eggplant and tomatoes.

Ratatouille can be enjoyed as-is with some crusty bread, but it is also great with warm creamy polenta, tossed with pasta and makes a great bed for an over-easy egg or omelet filling. 

In this oven-roasted variation, the vegetables also take on a nice caramelized flavoring after a long, hot roasting in the oven.

10-12 oz., approximately 2 small, onions

4 cloves of garlic

1 ½ lb eggplant

12-14 oz.  zucchini or other summer squash

1-½ lbs, approximately 5-6 tomatoes

6-8 oz. green pepper

2-3, 3-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary

3-4, 3-inch sprigs of fresh thyme

Approximately 2-3 tbs Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coarsely chop the onions and peel the garlic and add them to a metal roasting pan.  Next chop the eggplant, zucchini and green pepper into approximately ½ to ¾ inch pieces and add to the onions and garlic. Strip the leaves from the fresh herb sprigs and add to the chopped vegetables.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, tossing all together. Then, cut tomatoes into 6-8 wedges each and place over the top of the vegetables. Then drizzle all with a bit more olive oil. 

Place in the preheated oven and roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring after the first 35 to 45 minutes.  Ratatouille will be done with the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized.

Serves 6-8

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