Like Sharon, I’m starting to get summer vegetable overload. The French solved this problem long ago and developed a dish we all love–ratatouille! Traditionally it’s stewed stovetop resulting in an utterly irresistible but slightly unattractive dish. We three cooks have found that roasting the vegetables rather than stewing them means they cook through yet sill hold their shape.
We love ratatouille on its own, but we also like that once you’ve made a batch, you can use it as a base to create very different dishes throughout the week. And because the ratatouille is already made, they’re super quick. How about Open-Face Ratatouille and Mozzarella Sandwiches, Summer Chicken Stew with Ratatouille Vegetables, or my favorite: Grilled Provencal Lamb Chops with Ratatouille Relish?
If you’re looking for other ways to use summer’s abundance, give Sharon’s Zucchini and and Summer Squash Ribbons try. And this ratatouille is just one more way to keep your vegetable consumption interesting this summer.
- 1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut and cut into one-inch dice
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into one-inch dice
- 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into one-inch dice
- 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into one-inch dice
- 12 peeled garlic cloves, halved
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 cups (1 pint) cherry tomatoes
- Combine eggplant, onion, pepper, zucchini, and garlic in a large bowl. Add olive oil, thyme, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper; toss to coat. Turn vegetables onto a large-rimmed baking sheet.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Set baking sheet in preheating oven; roast until vegetables are golden brown on bottom, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven, stir in cherry tomatoes, and then continue to roast, stirring once more, until tomatoes have start to release their juices, about 15 minutes longer. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, or continue with one of the following recipes. (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 5 days.)
- 1 cup Roasted Ratatouille (see above), warm or at room temperature
- 2 hero rolls (about 6-inches long), tops reserved for another use
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 ounces mozzarella (fresh, if possible) sliced thin
- Fresh basil leaves
- If Roasted Ratatouille is not yet made, do it now.
- Toast rolls until golden brown. Drizzle each with a portion of olive oil and vinegar; top with a portion of cheese, enough basil leave to cover cheese, and the ratatouille. Serve.
- 2 cups Roasted Ratatouille
- 8 medium boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
- ½ cup each: white wine and chicken broth
- 12 coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives (about ¼ cup)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- If Roasted Ratouille is not yet made, do it now.
- Drizzle chicken with oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs to hot skillet: sauté, turning only once, until golden brown on both sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Add wine and reduce by about half. Add chicken broth, ratatouille, and olives. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and serve.
- 2 cups Roasted Ratatouille
- 6 lamb loin chops, about 2½ pounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced, fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons minced, fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- If Roasted Ratatouille is not yet made, do it now.
- About 20 minutes before serving, preheat gas grill, with all burners on high until very hot about 10 minutes, or build a hot charcoal fire. Clean grill rack with a wire brush then use a vegetable oil-soaked rag held with tongs to lubricate it. Have water close by to extinguish potential flare-ups.
- Meanwhile, place lamb chops in medium bowl. Add oil, rosemary, garlic powder, orange zest, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper; rub onto chops to coat evenly. Grill lamb chops, turning only once, until impressive grill marks have formed on both sides and lamb is cooked to medium, about 8 minute.
- Add capers, basil, and vinegar to Roasted Ratatouille. Serve each portion of lamb chops with a generous ½ cup of Ratatouille Relish.
Every summer I get tons of eggplant, zucchini, and peppers from the farmers’ market. At first, these fresh veggies are amazing. But then I begin to struggle to find new ways to prepare them. I simply adore this ratatouille because I can make lots of it and then transform it into exciting new dishes all week long.
These ingredients are fresh and abundant this time of year, meaning this ratatouille will be particularly delicious. I can’t wait to make this for Andy and then transform it into delicious Open-Faced Roasted Ratatouille and Mozzarella Sandwiches! With all that flavor, we’ll never miss the meat.
You read my mind. I was searching for a recipe for a roasted ratatouille just this morning. My fridge is full of wonderful veggies and this sounds like just the ticket. Thanks.
OHHH, dear babies. Ratatouille and I share friendship bracelets. I love it so much. Done. and Done.
What a wonderful way to get the recommended number of servings of vegetables per day! This looks really good and I bet all the vegetables get sweeter as they are roasted. I also love the idea of the open faced sandwich with the fresh mozzarella and basil. Scrumptious!
I joined a CSA this summer and have been getting lots of zucchini and eggplant. I’ve made caponata which was delicious but love the idea of a roasted ratatouille. Thanks for sharing three ways to enjoy this dish, although I would just eat this by the spoonful.
I noticed this recipe (and many others I see around the web) does not mention salting the eggplant and letting it sit. The one time I tried to make eggplant without doing this, parts of it were very tough and the flavor seemed off…did I do something wrong, or was it perhaps the type of eggplant my store sells? In my area it is hard to find lots of types of eggplant, they are usually the large, dark-skinned ones.
Thanks!
Hey Tara,
From my experience today’s eggplants aren’t bitter like they used to be, so salting and draining aren’t necessary. However, I’ve just e-mailed garden expert Mike McGrath to see if he can help us out. If I hear back from him, I’ll let you know what he says.
Tomatoes are coming on strong now in the garden; peppers and beets, too. Just made beet salsa last night. To.Die.For. 🙂 Love zucchini noodles, too!
Now I’m hungry! 🙂
These recipes are perfectly timed for me! I’m reading Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris, and just this morning I hit the chapter where she cooks ratatouille. Immediately I thought, ‘I should make that!’ This recipe sounds like it would make a delicious pasta topper too along with a bit of olive oil and Parmesan.
I need a side dish for my cooking group, and the main dish is seafood pasta, and I think this will go perfectly! I also love chicken thighs so I will make the chicken stew recipe as well. Thank you! I love your website.
just made the roasted ratatouille with todays farm market veggies. However…I also added sliced corn off the cob and the entire recipe is unbelievable! Delicious!! I don’t want the summer vegetable season to end!!!
thank you.
I grill my ratatouille vegetables, then mix them with pasta with lots of Parmesan on top. Fantastic! I never cared for the stovetop version. Nice to see your roasted version and the ideas that go with it.
This was my first taste of ratatouille ever and I love, love, love this recipe and the three entree ideas that came with it! I made the sandwiches & the chicken stew all with our CSA/farmers’ market bounty…both “to die for!” as far as I’m concerned. Getting ready to make the sandwich recipe for some vegetarian friends. I think they’ll love it! Thanks for making ratatouille so easy & so yummy!
First of all ladies, I love all the recipes you share in the weekend magazine insert. So happy to check out your website. It makes me smile! Tried the stew/ratatouille dish and it was sooooo good. My husband raved about it so much, I had to give him the leftovers for his lunch the next day. I can’t wait to try the ratatouille in a sandwich as you suggested. Thanks for making cooking such an enjoyable experience.
I have made the Summer Chicken Stew with ratatouille vegetables several times this summer. I was trying to use us vegetables in my garden. This recipe is fabulous! I have invited neighbors to dinner just to show off our garden veggies and have had rave reviews! thanks for such a creative way to use my vegetables.
Excellent and SO versatile….thanks!!!!!!!!
Semi-retired, I do much of the cooking. Repeating the ratatouille (the bomb last time!!). Verdict on soaking, salting eggplant was what? I did it the old way, salt soak.
Unless it’s a really large, old, oversized eggplant, John, I don’t think it’s necessary to salt. I haven’t tasted a bitter eggplant in years.
I made your Roasted Ratatouille recipe tonight- followed it to a “T” with all organic veggies, only I substituted fresh tomatoes for cherry tomatoes, picked minutes before preparing. Should have been great- but we found it very uninteresting and almost tasteless. Perhaps roasting it longer would have allowed the flavors to develop more?
I think chopped tomatoes release more liquid more immediately than cherry tomatoes which cause the vegetables to stew rather than roast. It probably would have helped for the vegetables to have roasted a little longer. Try it again with cherry tomatoes and let us know what you think. When I find dishes lack flavor, they usually need a little more salt or acid–a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar maybe?
Mmmm…I love ratatouille. I made an easy 10 minute version, which I discuss here: http://theoncominghope.blogspot.com/2011/09/not-your-grandma-recipe-10-minute.html
It’s been an ultra-delish timesaver!
I’ve made this twice, and it’s delicious. I’ve never made traditional ratatouille because stew, any kind of stew, holds no appeal for me in the heat of summer. This is great, and it smells divine while it’s cooking. Love the additional meal ideas, too.