Several years ago, the Washington Post Food Section printed a recipe for Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille and I knew I had to make it. This was even in our condo living years, before we had a garden that grew too much zucchini and yellow squash. I love the rustic feel of this dish and the flavors really pop. I’ve made it for guests many times as a summer veggie side and and have always gotten rave reviews.
The recipe as printed is very open to variation, enabling you to use up whatever veggies you have on hand. Below I’ve included my favorite adaption, which includes fresh corn cut from the cob (as a native Illinois, I love a good corn on the cob!). It does require a fair bit of time to put together so if you are putting this on a menu with other fussy dishes, this recipe can be made ahead, refrigerated and then heated right before serving. Also, I love the flavor of roasting my own peppers, but jarred peppers would be a good substitute here to cut down on the prep time.
Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille
Serves 6-8 as a side dish
- 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cubed
- 1 medium, skin-on eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 ears of corn, kernels removed and cobs discarded
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- Salt
- Pepper, to taste
- 3 medium red bell peppers
- 2 medium sweet onions, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4-5 medium tomatoes, cubed
- 1/2 cup halved Kalamata olives
- 4 sprigs lemon thyme
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, toss the zucchini or squash, eggplant, corn and cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, adding salt and pepper to taste. Spread on the baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until softened and golden brown.
Meanwhile, char the peppers over a stovetop flame until they are blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Peel and seed the peppers, then roughly chop. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the diced tomatoes, olives and the lemon thyme sprigs, stirring to combine.
Cook over medium-low heat for about 30-35 minutes.
Turn off the heat, remove the lemon thyme sprigs and add the roasted vegetables and peppers, stirring gently to combine.
Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the crumbled goat cheese and serve warm.
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