Ratatouille
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree, Main, Side, Vegetable
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 to 4 cups
 
A basic ratatouille can be as simple as sautéing vegetables, and makes a huge quantity of vegetables for the week.
Ingredients
  • 1 small sweet onion, or 1 large spring onion, sliced thin
  • 1 small eggplant, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small zucchini, halved or quartered lengthwise and then sliced into thin moon- or pie-shaped slices
  • 1 small yellow squash, halved or quartered lengthwise and then sliced into thin moon- or pie-shaped slices
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or zested
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon (pinch) ground coriander
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • optional garnish: fresh basil leaves
Instructions
  1. Heat a dutch oven over high heat, and add some extra virgin olive oil (about 3 Tablespoons).
  2. When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium-high, and add the onion and eggplant. Let the onion and eggplant sit until they start to brown, and then stir, continuing to sauté as the liquid cooks out, for about 5-8 minutes. Stir occasionally as it cooks.
  3. Throughout cooking this recipe, if the pan is drying out before your vegetables are cooking, put the lid on (not tightly), to keep some of the moisture from evaporating.
  4. Add the red pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash, moving the vegetables to the side to add more oil to the bottom of the pan (so it can heat and not just soak into the vegetables) if needed.
  5. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes.
  6. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, or until it seems incorporated.
  7. Add the tomatoes and lower the heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender and incorporated. The tomatoes should add a little liquid to the mix.
  8. Stir in the oregano, thyme, fennel seeds, and coriander, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add salt to your taste.
  9. If you are using basil, stir in sliced ribbons after you have removed the ratatouille from heat.
Notes
Leave the skin on all of the vegetables for color and nutrition, unless they look waxy and tough to you. Chopping shapes are just suggestions; as long as everything is relatively small and approximately the same size, you should be all set.
Recipe by My Utensil Crock at http://www.myutensilcrock.com/2018/08/28/ratatouille/