This is a variation of the classic ratatouille where sliced vegetables are arranged in a pattern and baked, creating a visually appealing dish. It also looks great in a round dish, arranged in a “snail” shape.
Ingredients
For the base sauce:
- extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons
- onion, 1
- garlic cloves, 3
- red bell pepper, 1
- yellow bell pepper, 1
- herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon
- tomatoes*, 500 g
For the vegetables:
- green zucchini, 400 g
- yellow zucchini, 400 g
- eggplant, 400 g
- Roma tomatoes, 400 g
- herbes de Provence, 2 teaspoons
- chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon
For the green sauce:
- parsley or basil leaves, 1 cup
- garlic clove, 1/2
- olive oil, 4 tablespoons
Preparation
For the base sauce: Heat a large skillet, add the olive oil, and sauté the diced onion until translucent, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and diced red and yellow bell peppers. Season with salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Peel and dice the tomatoes, removing the stems. Add them to the skillet with the peppers and cook until the tomatoes reduce and form a sauce, about 5 minutes. Spread the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish (approximately 25 x 32 cm or a 30 cm round dish).
For the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Slice the green zucchini, yellow zucchini, eggplant, and Roma tomatoes into thin rounds. Arrange 4 slices in the following order: green zucchini, yellow zucchini, tomato, and eggplant. Place them on top of the sauce in the baking dish.
Season the vegetables with salt (about 1 teaspoon), pepper, chili flakes, and herbes de Provence. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 220°C (425°F), and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
For the green sauce: Blend the parsley or basil leaves with the garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor. Alternatively, finely chop the leaves and mix them with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Drizzle the green sauce over the ratatouille and serve.