Baked Ratatouille
Ratatouille has been one of my favourite side dishes for years. Usually, I make the stewed version of this dish. It includes the same basic ingredients, but is quicker to prepare. The last few times I have made the classic oven baked ratatouille and I love it so much.
Oven baked ratatouille has a presentation that is sure to blow people away. This dish is a centrepiece. It is one of my ‘go-to’ side dishes any time we have guests over. Plus, not only does it look incredible, it is also very delicious!
If you are interested in the stovetop stewed version, then check the recipe here: Stovetop Ratatouille.
This oven baked ratatouille recipe is also a popular conversation piece. People love to talk about not only how this dish looks and tastes, but also about the Pixar movie called Ratatouille The movie, which is a classic, is named based off this dish. I highly recommend the movie, if you have never seen it.
Tips to making oven baked ratatouille
- Use vegetables of different colours to give the best visual display: green and yellow zucchini, eggplant and roma tomatoes
- Try to make sure that all the vegetables are the same size.
- Slice the vegetables with the same thickness. I aim for the slices to be about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use Italian eggplant, if possible. There are many different types of eggplant, and I find that Italian eggplant has a similar diameter to zucchini and roma tomatoes.
I find it best to prep everything first. Slice all the vegetables and get all the ingredients ready to be assembled before you actually start making the ratatouille.
The sliced vegetables in ratatouille are assembled on a bed of stewed tomatoes. I use one 28oz can of diced tomatoes, with a diced onion and a few minced garlic cloves. Spread it evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish.
There are many different types of baking casserole dishes that can be used. I used an oval baking dish, as you can see in the photos. I have also used a cast iron skillet which worked great. You can also use square or rectangular dishes. The shape of the dish will result different patterns
I start assembling the ratatouille with the outside circle first. Place one slice of each vegetable stacked horizontally together. Then keep adding more sliced vegetables, following the same colour pattern. Since one of the great things about baked ratatouille is the visual display, I make sure to use the same pattern through the whole dish.
Once you have finished the outer ring, move on to the inner ring adding the sliced vegetables the same way. Since I am using oval shaped dish, I wasn’t able to do a complete inner circle. Instead I assembled the sliced vegetables in an inner arc. Then went the other way for another inner arc. Finally there was a little bit of space in the very middle. I added some sliced vegetables in there as well to fill that spot.
Tips to assembling the ratatouille slices
- Follow the same colour pattern order when placing the slices.
- Keep the slices close together without much space. That way they will stay standing up once the dish has been baked.
- Follow the shape of the dish you are using. If using a circle or oval dish, circle or arc rows work great. If using a rectangular dish, use straight rows, side by side.
The final step of preparing the ratatouille is to top it with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. I used fresh oregano and thyme. I also love to use tarragon, but it can be difficult to find locally.
Spread the fresh herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil evenly across the top. Now the ratatouille is ready to go in the oven!
Cover the dish with foil and bake in a 350F oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes. hours. The sliced vegetables should be fully cooked, and beautifully roasted.
Baked Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 2 medium green zucchini
- 2 medium yellow zucchini
- 4 Italian eggplant
- 5 roma tomatoes
- 1 can diced tomatoes (28oz can)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh oregano minced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Slice green and yellow zuchini, eggplant and roma tomatoes into 1/4 inch sliced round meddalions. Try to make all the slices the same width.
- Mix the can of diced tomatoes with the onion and garlic. Spread the mixture evenly across the bottom of a medium sized casserole or baking dish.
- Start assembling the ratatouille rows by placing one slice of each vegetable, standing upright and stacked together, up against the edge of the baking dish. Keep adding a slice at a time, following the same colour pattern and moving along the edge of the dish. Once the outer row is complete, continue the same way with the inner row.
- Mix together the olive oil with the minced oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle it evenly across the top of all the sliced vegetables.
- Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through and soft.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Per serving:
