A Colorful Classic Dish -- Ratatouille

Summer is almost over and that means it’s time to take advantage of all the nutritious, colorful, seasonal vegetables.

Ratatouille brings in a variety of vegetables arranged in a beautiful pattern to make a tasty dish that looks like a work of art.

Originating in Nice, France, this dish has been around since the 18th century, but the modern dish we know today was officially written in 1930.

Although it’s been a longtime staple dish in French cuisine, when Pixar came out with the movie Ratatouille, the dish was highlighted throughout American culture.

Typically, this dish consists of chopped vegetables simmered slow in a chunky tomato sauce, but for the sake of presentation, people adapted the beautiful version that we all saw in the Ratatouille movie.

The combination of colors from the squash, zucchini, eggplant and tomato truly make this dish special.

If you’d like to make this recipe yourself, follow the steps below!

Recipe

In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add onion and red pepper. Let sauté until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic, and diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Using an emulsion blender, blend, leaving a few chunks. (You can also transfer to a blender or food processor to blend.)
Thinly slice remaining vegetables, including the eggplant, zucchini, squash and tomatoes.
Transfer half of chunky sauce to a baking dish and layer at the bottom.
Arrange the thinly sliced vegetables in a circular pattern in the pan over the sauce.
Preheat the oven to 375 fahrenheit.
Drizzle the ratatouille with a light amount of olive oil and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until tender.
Garnish with parsley, serve and enjoy!