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Hey friends, now is the time to enjoy some heartwarming ratatouille! I am not talking about the movie. However, I do love that movie and all of its heartwarming vibes.
Seriously though, I don’t think I knew what ratatouille was until I saw that movie. It wasn’t until just 2 months ago that I tried my first bite of ratatouille at a cute little diner, called Bluebird Diner in Iowa City. I didn’t know much about ratatouille, except that there are a lot of veggies and eggplant and tomatoes cooked together. Bluebird Diner’s version of ratatouille featured chickpeas and was served over polenta. It was a vegan dish that certainly filled me up for hours.
I knew I had to re-recreate this recipe at home. During my research about ratatouille (the food, not the movie) I found that there are generally two ways to make the recipe. 1) You cook all of the chopped veggies in a stew pot until they become tender and soft and almost stew-like. 2) You slice up all the veggies and layer them in a fancy-pants circular pattern around a baking dish that has been lined with tomato sauce, and bake the dish until the veggies are roasted and tender.
After my research I still have no idea what is considered a traditional ratatouille dish. It seems that everyone has a slightly varied recipe and method. For my ratatouille, I knew I wanted a combo of both versions. A jammy, homemade sauce with sweet, tender, roasted veggies.
So, I did just that. This recipe may create more dishes than if you were to throw all the veggies into a stew pot and allow them to cook for infinity. Just trust me my friends, the extra dishes will be totally worth it. Besides, if you cooked dinner, then you shouldn’t be on dish duty anyways! Right? RIGHT!
I absolutely love how this dish turned out. It’s got plenty of roasted eggplant, onions, sweet bell peppers, and zucchini that don’t fall apart. And the sauce is made from sweet, plump cherry tomatoes and plenty of roasted garlic all done in a skillet. Plus there are chickpeas in the sauce (probably not traditional, but who cares); I love the meatiness they add.
Serve the roasted ratatouille over some freshly-made, creamy polenta…and excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard! TMI?
What I love about Roasted Ratatouille with Polenta is that it’s a great vegetarian meal that is hearty enough to keep you satisfied for hours. And it makes use of those end-of-summer-beginning-of-fall veggies that you may have growing in your garden. Or, if you’re like me, you pick them up at the grocery store because you have a black thumb. If you do have a garden, I would be happy to invite myself over and take some of that produce off of your hands. I can even make you delicious Roasted Ratatouille with Polenta! Okay Emily, stop being a creeper now!
I hope you give this recipe a try, and if you do, be sure to comment and rate it. I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions. Cheers, friends!
Roasted Ratatouille with Polenta
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-free,
Description
Roasted Ratatouille with Polenta is a gluten-free, vegetarian dish that is hearty and filling. The veggies are roasted to bring out their sweetness and maintain their texture. The polenta soaks up the juices from the tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- FOR THE ROASTED VEGGIES:
- 1 large eggplant, cut into chunks
- 2 zucchinis cut into 1/2 inch rounds
- 1 yellow onion, cut into chunks
- 2 bell peppers, red, orange, or yellow, cut into chunks
- 6 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper
- FOR THE POLENTA:
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups corn grits (also known as polenta)
- 3 tablespoons butter (could sub olive oil)
- Optional: 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
- 3 cups grape tomatoes/cherry tomatoes (I used a mix of red, yellow, and orange grape and cherry tomatoes)
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Several large leaves of fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- FOR THE ROASTED VEGGIES:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut your veggies as instructed for each. Try to keep them roughly the same size. Divide your veggies evenly onto 2 large rimmed baking sheets so that the veggies are in an even layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil on each pan. Sprinkle the herbs evenly among each tray of veggies, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat the veggies in the oil and seasonings, spread the veggies into an even layer.
- Roast the veggies for 45 minutes, making sure to toss the veggies and rotate pans about every 15 minutes. The veggies should have reduced in size, and be tender and browned. Be careful not to burn them.
- FOR THE POLENTA:
- Make the polenta while the veggies are roasting.
- In a medium sauce pot bring the water to a boil. Add the teaspoon of salt. Slowly add the corn grits, whisking as they are added.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, being careful because the grits will pop and bubble up. Add the butter/olive oil and the parmesan cheese (optional); stir to combine. Whisk every few minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the polenta has thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and set aside.
- If the polenta has gotten a little too thick, stir in some water just before serving to loosen it up a bit.
- FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
- During the last 20 minutes that the veggies are roasting, make the tomato sauce.
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil and allow it to heat for a few minutes. Add the whole head of peeled garlic cloves. Sauté them for 10 minutes, about 5 minutes per side, until they are tender and have browned. Be careful not to let them burn.
- Once the garlic is cooked turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the cherry tomatoes and allow them to cook for 10 minutes, or until they are tender. Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to smash most of the tomatoes.
- Add the chickpeas and allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the fresh basil.
- FOR SERVING:
- Allow the roasted veggies to cool slightly. Serve some of the tomato sauce over a large serving of polenta. Top with a mixture of the roasted veggies. Serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in separate containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The polenta will thicken as it cools; just add more water to loosen it up as you reheat it.
Notes
Ratatouille recipe inspired by the Bluebird Diner in Iowa City, Iowa.
Recipe for ratatouille heavily adapted from Laura Vitale
I don’t eat much meat, so this looks like a perfect main dish for me. It looks so hearty! And I think it would keep me plenty full! Yum.
Amanda, this dish will keep you satisfied for hours! If you give it a try, let me know how you like it! 🙂
What an amazing presentation.. simply loved the visual treat, the roasted ratatouille is such a joy even to see
Thanks Fareeha!:)