Today's recipe is a request from some of those who follow me on my Facebook page. Thank you to everyone who responded so enthusiastically when I asked on Facebook if you wanted the recipe. I was having a hard time deciding what to do next, and your interest was just the encouragement I needed.
The recipe is fairly simple. Chop the veggies into fairly uniform sizes, toss in a casserole dish with some dried herbs, add water, vinegar and tamari, cover and bake. Sit back and relax while your home is filled with a heavenly aroma that will remind you of pizza. Serve on a bed of rice with some beans for an easy, great-tasting meal.
Before I get to the recipe, I do have a couple of tips. First, this is a big recipe, you will need a large casserole dish. Mine was a large rectangular ceramic roasting dish 30 cm x 21 cm (12 inches x 8.5 inches) with a smooth glazed surface. I think a glass pan would work just as well. I don't recommend using a metal pan, but if you do, line it with parchment paper.
Second, I covered this while baking and thickened the liquid with a little cornstarch to make a yummy sauce. I used an old silicone baking mat which covered my roasting dish perfectly. If you don't have one, you could cover your pan with a layer of parchment paper followed by another layer of aluminum foil. If you don't want to make sauce, then bake the Ratatouille uncovered—it's still delicious that way.
Third, I love to make half the recipe and use it as a pasta sauce. I cook 227 gm (8 ounces) of gluten-free pasta according to the package instructions, drain, and don't rinse as I normally do. Then, I add the ratatouille straight from the roasting pan without thickening the sauce and toss everything together. The excess starch on the cooked pasta will thicken the liquid from the ratatouille perfectly.
makes 6-8 servings
- 3 22 cm (9 inch) long Japanese eggplants, quartered length-wise, cut in 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices
- 1 22 cm (9 inch) zucchini, quartered length-wise, cut in 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices
- 1 large green pepper, cut in 2.5 cm (1 inch) chunks
- 1 large orange pepper, cut in 2.3 cm (1 inch) chunks
- 4 large Roma tomatoes, quartered length-wise, cut in 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning (or 2 teaspoons each of dried basil, oregano, and thyme)
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons cold water
Place the chopped eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle with the herbs and toss to combine.
Enjoy!
To your health and happiness,
Beans and Rice