Vegetable Ratatouille

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon oregano, dried
• 28 oz canned tomatoes, crushed
• 10 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Vegetable Ingredients:

• 2 small eggplants, sliced
• 6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 2 yellow squashes, sliced
• 2 zucchinis, sliced

Herb Mixture Ingredients:

• 10 basil leaves, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and gather all your ingredients.
• Prep all the ingredients by slicing or cutting to appropriate size mentioned in ingredients list.
• Prepare the herb mixture by combining all ingredients in a bowl and whisking together. Set aside until ready for use.

Prepare Sauce:

• Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Add the onion and garlic to the oil, sauté until softened (about 10 minutes). While the onions and garlic are sautéing add in the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and oregano.
• Add the tomatoes and stir until they are fully incorporated.
• Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
• Stir in the basil and turn to low heat.
• Stir occasionally and let it sit on low heat until ready for use.

Prepare Ratatouille:

• In a large baking dish/pan add the tomato sauce as the base of the ratatouille.
• Starting at the outer rim of the dish, arrange the vegetables in an alternating pattern on top of the sauce (eggplant, tomato, squash then zucchini).
• Once you have created a beautiful pattern using the vegetables you will top with the herb
• Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, uncover, and then finish off for another 20 minutes. The vegetables will be soft and start to caramelize.

Get Ready to Plate:

• Top the dish with a bit of chopped basil and serve while hot.