Recipe Feature: Ratatouille!

This week's Seasonal Vegetable Bundle is loaded with delicious summer produce, including tomato, zucchini, bell pepper and basil - perfect for creating a colourful, local-Ontario take on the French dish, Ratatouille! 

Fun Fact: Ratatouille is thought to have originated in Nice, France, in the late 18th century.

Easy Ratatouille Recipe

Created by: Megan Gilmore

Ratatouille is an easy cooked vegetable dish that you can serve as a side dish or main course. It's the best way to use up summer produce!

Ingredients:

1 pound eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

2 red or yellow bell peppers, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 red onion, sliced

extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme or basil

fine sea salt

1 large zucchini, sliced into half-moons (about 10 ounces)

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce (or 1 1/2 cups of homemade sauce); look for no added sugar

1 tablespoon minced garlic; roughly 3-4 cloves minced

2 large tomatoes, sliced (about 2 cups)

3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (optional; omit for a vegan dish)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

2. Put the eggplant, bell pepper and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss the vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil, the chopped thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, use that free time to chop the zucchini, garlic, and tomatoes, if you want to save time.

4. When the 15 minutes are up, add the zucchini on top of the other veggies (or use another baking sheet) and bake for another 10 minutes. While that is cooking, combine the tomato sauce and garlic in the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish.

5. Arrange the roasted vegetables over the sauce, then top with the sliced tomatoes. Bake for a final 15 minutes. Sprinkle the goat cheese over the dish, if desired, and serve warm.

6. Leftovers can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 5 days. To reheat, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350ºF.

Recipes curated by Lauren