Small Movie-Style Ratatouille

The layered, spiral-arranged ratatouille: a blended pepper-tomato sauce under thin rounds of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomato, baked low and slow and finished with a bright herb oil.

Servings: 2 Time: ~2 hrs 45 min (~45 min prep, 1½-2 hrs bake) Oven: 275°F

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Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ small yellow or white onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• ½ yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
• ½ can crushed tomatoes, about 7 oz
• ½ teaspoon thyme or herbes de Provence
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Optional: tiny pinch sugar or ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Vegetable Layer

• ½ small narrow eggplant
• ½ zucchini
• ½ yellow squash
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh thyme, optional

Finishing Herb Oil

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
• ½ small garlic clove, grated or very finely minced
• 1-2 teaspoons chopped basil or parsley
• Pinch of salt

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Method

Make the Sauce

Finely chop the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and yellow or orange bell pepper. Keep the garlic separate because it cooks faster.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small or medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and diced peppers. Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften and smell sweet. If the garlic browns too fast, lower the heat.

Add the crushed tomatoes, thyme or herbes de Provence, a generous pinch of salt, black pepper, and the optional pinch of sugar or balsamic. Stir well.

Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Taste: if flat, add salt; if too sharp, add a tiny pinch of sugar.

Blend the sauce until mostly smooth, then spread it evenly in the bottom of a small baking dish.

Slice and Arrange

Preheat oven to 275°F.

Slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and Roma tomatoes into thin rounds, about ⅛ inch thick. Try to keep them similar in thickness. If the eggplant is wider than the rest, cut those slices into halves or quarters.

Layer the slices over the sauce, alternating eggplant → zucchini → yellow squash → tomato, in a spiral, rows, or overlapping arcs to cover the sauce evenly.

Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme if using. Cover tightly with foil or parchment.

Bake

Bake at 275°F for 1½ to 2 hours, until the vegetables are glossy and tender when tested with a knife.

If done early, turn the oven down to 200°F and keep the ratatouille covered and warm. If the top looks too wet, uncover for a few minutes in the warm oven.

Finish

Mix the herb oil ingredients in a small bowl. It should taste bright, garlicky, and herby.

Spoon some herb oil over the ratatouille before serving. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt if needed. Spoon carefully around any extra liquid when plating.