Ratatouille is one of my favorite meals to make in the spring.
It uses wonderfully fresh vegetables.
With all the colors of the rainbow on your plate, this dish looks healthy and tastes indulgent.
I try to make family meals that my toddler loves just as much as my husband and I. We all eat dinner together, so it’s great when I can make one meal to satisfy everyone. This ratatouille is so simple to put together, and when served with a side of quinoa or farro, it’s a delicious and complete meal.
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- 4 - 5 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 yellow peppers chopped
- 2 orange peppers chopped
- 2 zucchini chopped
- 1 eggplant chopped
- 1 can tomatoes diced, 28-ounce, plus the juice
- 4 tablespoons dried parsley
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook another minute.
- Add the peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and parsley to the pot, and stir well. Cook over a medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften and release their juices. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 20 minutes to cook off some of the liquid. The vegetables should seem slightly overcooked. Check again for seasoning, and remove from the heat.
- Serve ratatouille warm or at room temperature.
Rich and red chopped tomatoes
Simple seasoning with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper
Colorful chopped veggies for a simple summer dish
Bell peppers add color and sweetness
Springtime Ratatouille
Pro Tips
Use good quality olive oil for this dish—it makes a world of difference to the taste! With so few ingredients, you really want each one to shine.
If tomatoes are in season, by all means, use them. I would sub in 3-4 medium tomatoes, plus their juice. But if you can’t wait, use canned!
You can adapt this recipe to whichever vegetables you have on hand. Don’t like zucchini? Leave it out! Use a couple of yellow squash instead.
Prefer green peppers to yellow, go for it! Flexibility is what makes this recipe such an easy-to-make family meal.