I absolutely cannot get over how easy and delicious this recipe is. Take whatever vegetables you have, throw them together, and you end up with a comforting and scrumptious vegetable medley. This recipe is a twist on the classic French ratatouille. In the summer, I often find myself with loads of vegetables that don’t fit in my overflowing refrigerator. And if there is one thing about me, I hate wasting food. To solve that problem, I throw all my summer veggies into a pot, and voilà. An easy ratatouille.
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But why?
There is something so romantic about chopping lots of vegetables, enjoying the smell as it simmers, and the best part, devouring it! This easy ratatouille is for everyone. In my opinion, vegetables can get hated on a little too hard. They are so nutritious and delicious. Especially when cooked correctly.
What do I need to make this easy ratatouille?
Any array of summer squashes and vegetables will do the trick! A more traditional French ratatouille recipe would use plum tomatoes and dry white wine, along with the Herb de Provence for that French flare. However, this easy ratatouille is totally adaptable to any additions or substitutions you would prefer to make to this recipe. Eggplant is traditional in a ratatouille dish, but nearly all the squashes can be subbed out for one another. Pattypan, yellow squash, and zucchini are used in this recipe! I also take the easy way out and leave my seeds in the squashes. I use Roma tomatoes, but any type should work. If you do not have fresh basil, don’t worry, just use extra dried basil to replace it. This recipe is truly versatile, and I highly recommend putting your own personal flare on the recipe.
Easy Ratatouille
Ingredients
- ½ cup (divided) extra virgin olive oil or as needed
- 1 tbsp minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 16 leaves fresh basil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 large bell peppers any color
- 7 small roma tomatoes
- 1 medium pattypan * see notes for important details
- 1 medium eggplant *
- 1 medium yellow squash *
- 3 medium zucchini *
- ½ lb canned petite diced tomatoes 8 oz
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- ½ tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by dicing all the yellow squash, eggplant, and zucchinis into ½-1 inch cubes. Place squashes into large bowl and set aside.
- Next, dice the bell peppers and tomatoes into ½ inch pieces. Dice the onion and cut up the fresh basil. I like to keep these ingredients on my cutting board, but feel free to move around to separate plate or bowl if needed.
- Once everything is diced and chopped, take out a medium-large pot. I like to use my 7 qt dutch oven for this recipe because it allows for this dish to simmer on a lower heat.
- Put ¼ cup of olive oil in the pot on medium-high heat.
- Once oil is heated, add your large bowl ingredients. Thoroughly stir the squashes to coat evenly in the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper and cook the squashes for about 8-10 minutes or until just brown. The squashes should be slightly soft, but not fully cooked yet. Remove the cooked squashes from the heat and place back into the large bowl.
- Next, move the pot back to the stove and reduce heat to medium low. Add the remaining desired amount of olive oil (at least 2 tbsp) and place your minced garlic and yellow onion. Cook until bubbly and fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the bell peppers and roma tomatoes to the onion/garlic and cook until peppers are soft and tomatoes are broken down. About 5 minutes.
- Now take the previously cooked squashes and fresh basil and add them to the pot. Stir well.
- Add the dried herbs and any additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the canned tomatoes into the mixture and stir to combine.
- To finish this dish you will need to allow for it to come to a simmer. Cover the pot and keep on low heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. You will begin to smell the vegetables melding into one another after about 20-30 minutes.
- For deeper flavor, place your cooled pot in the fridge overnight.* However, after simmering for 20-30 minutes your dish is ready to enjoy. Pair this easy ratatouille with buttered bread, pasta, rice, or just on its own!
Notes
I hope you enjoyed creating this comforting vegetable dish. Let me know the changes you made in the comments below!
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