Oven-Baked Layered Ratatouille Recipe

To create this beautiful vegetable dish you will need the following fresh ingredients from your garden or the store:

• Two large eggplants sliced into thin rounds

• Three medium green zucchinis sliced into thin rounds

• Three medium yellow squashes sliced into thin rounds

• Six large Roma tomatoes sliced into thin rounds

• One large yellow onion finely diced for the sauce

• Three cloves of fresh garlic minced very fine

• One red bell pepper finely diced for the sauce

• One yellow bell pepper finely diced for the sauce

• Two cups of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

• Four tablespoons of high quality extra virgin olive oil

• Two teaspoons of dried herbes de Provence

• One teaspoon of salt plus more for seasoning the layers

• Half a teaspoon of black pepper

• A handful of fresh basil leaves for garnish at the end

Step by Step Method

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit so it is ready and hot by the time you finish your prep work.

The first major task is to prepare your vegetables by washing them thoroughly and slicing them into very thin and even circles that are about the same size.

If your eggplant is much wider than your zucchini you can cut the eggplant slices in half or quarters so they match the height of the other vegetable rounds.

Now you will make the base sauce by heating two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat on your stove.

Add the diced onion and the diced bell peppers to the skillet and cook them until they are soft and the onion looks translucent which should take about seven minutes.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for only one minute more so the garlic becomes fragrant but does not burn or turn bitter.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes or puree and add half of the salt and pepper along with one teaspoon of the dried herbs.

Let the sauce simmer on low heat for about ten minutes until it thickens slightly then spread it evenly across the bottom of a large round or oval baking dish.

Now comes the fun part where you arrange your sliced vegetables in a beautiful pattern on top of the sauce.

Take a slice of eggplant and a slice of zucchini and a slice of yellow squash and a slice of tomato and stack them together then place them vertically against the edge of the dish.

Continue this alternating pattern around the entire perimeter of the baking dish until you have a full circle of colorful vegetables.

If you have space left in the middle you can continue the spiral pattern into the center until the entire dish is packed with rows of vegetables.

Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the vegetables and sprinkle the rest of the salt and pepper and herbs over everything.

Cover the dish tightly with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil to trap the steam which helps the vegetables cook through without drying out.

Bake the covered dish in the oven for about forty minutes then remove the cover and bake for another twenty minutes to let the top brown and the sauce bubble.

Once the vegetables are soft and the edges are slightly golden remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for ten minutes.

Sprinkle the fresh basil leaves over the top before serving to add a bright pop of green and a fresh herbal aroma to the finished meal.

Why This Recipe Is Special

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