All of a sudden, you have too much of everything!
This time of year, when the peppers, squash, eggplant, and tomatoes are staging their grand finale, and we feel like we have more than we can deal with, the urge to mix them all together is strong. Thoughts often turn to ratatouille. A humble peasant stew of these late summer treasures, combined with French herbs, was born from this overabundance. Sauté, roast, or grill the vegetables. Chop them coarse or fancy, or layer them in a baking dish by color, and ratatouille is all about the color! Hot or cold, main dish or side, you can make this a hundred different ways and not go wrong.
Let’s call it a sauce
This week, I decide to serve mine over pasta, and I roasted the vegetables first. Sometimes I grill the veggies, but it was raining again. Sometimes I bake the whole thing in a casserole dish, and I’ve also sautéed everything on the stove top with equal deliciousness and ease. You really can’t go wrong, so always have fun with it. This is a stress-free dish that always tastes delicious.
Serve it your way
You can eat this as a traditional thick stew, serve this over rice, even polenta or mashed potatoes. It’s fun to pay attention to all the colors, use vibrant sweet peppers, yellow and green squash, a variety of tomatoes. It doesn’t really matter about the proportions, just use what you have! This is how I made it this week, but it will be different next. And, if you happen to have some beautiful red lentil pasta to serve it on, even better. Did I say how good it is on spaghetti? Or grits?
Add a fun pasta
The red lentil pasta I chose was a penne, and had just two ingredients: red lentil flour and water, plus it is gluten, dairy, and nut free, important with my brood. I left out the traditional eggplant because I’m allergic to it, as are my son-in-law and niece. Broke my heart, because right now the eggplant of all sizes and shapes and colors look really beautiful. If you can eat them, please add them to the recipe! I’ll just drool from afar.
Add what you like to the platter
I served this with some left-over sautéed baby pak choy, and some sautéed mushrooms saved from breakfast omelets. They hit just the right note. Steamed green beans would be great too. One meal around here always seems to bump into the next!
Creative leftovers
This dish keeps nicely, and if you make a big batch, you’ll be nibbling for days, or stock your freezer. I even like this in a wrap, or as a base for baked eggs, see below. You’ll come up with your own uses, whether a main course or even a sauce over fish or tofu. More meals bumping into each other!
I know it could be just moments when we will go from too much to not enough of the summer veggies, so let’s enjoy them while we can!
Roasted Ratatouille over Red Lentil Pasta
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into rings
- I head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
- 1 sweet red pepper, sliced
- 1 sweet green pepper, sliced
- 1 medium to large yellow summer squash, sliced
- 1 medium to large zucchini, sliced
- 4 medium to large meaty, ripe tomatoes, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp. herbes de Provence
- ½ tsp. lavender flowers, crushed
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 8 to 10 oz. pasta of choice
- Parmesan cheese, shaved, or goat cheese, crumbled, optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Brush two baking trays liberally with olive oil. Place veggies in a single layer on each, grouping them together. Mix together the herbes de Provence, lavender flowers, and fennel seeds with a few tablespoons of the oil. Brush over the vegetables, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 20 minutes and check. They will need to be turned and the garlic will probably need to be removed. If any of the other vegetables look done, take them out, the tomatoes will soften quickly. I place them right on the cutting board and chop into desired size, then put them in a large bowl. Don’t forget the juices! If the garlic is ready, just squeeze each clove onto the board and give a little mash.
Put your pasta water on to boil, add salt, and drop the pasta when it is ready. Once everything is cooked and married, add the fresh basil, mix it well, and taste for salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta, place on a large platter, and top with the ratatouille. Finish with more fresh basil and some Parmesan curls or goat cheese crumbles if you like.
Seconds!
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A great harvest dish, we make it often as does much of the Mediterranean in one guise or another.It’s great to get post from you.
Thanks for the comment, which came up Anonymous! Don’t know what is going on with WP these days!
The dish Im sure was originally born out of the abundance of the harvest, and is great however you make it in your own kitchen.
It looks delicious. Adding lavender flowers sounds interesting.
I love adding lavender to both sweet and savory dishes. Not everyone is a fan, but with so much going on here, it adds a lovely little “Je ne sais quoi!”
Looks fantastic. I love roasting the vegetables as the flavour is so rich and intense. Yummy!
Thanks! The roasting really makes a difference with this dish. Grilling is pretty awesome too!
The lentil pasta is a wonderful idea!
Thanks! It was a nice surprise!
I love the idea of a nest of vegetables for an egg. How was the pasta?
I love this particular pasta, and so does everyone else. It cooks up beautifully, and you’d never guess you were eating a pasta made with beans! I bought another box that is waiting in my pantry!
Mashed potato with Ratatouille – the m.o.t h. would love it ! Thanks for the idea.
It’s so good Amanda! You never know what treasure you will find in mixing up leftovers!
I trust your judgment and will definitely try it.
I think you’ll like it! Have a lovely weekend!
What a great idea! Ratatouille as a pasta sauce. Brilliant!
Thanks Mimi! It can be just about anything it wants!
Fabulous post. I LOVE this brand of pasta, and the recipe looks divine. I will make it this weekend. And thanks for the tip on leftovers!
I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty this gluten-free pasta was, and the texture was lovely as well! Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend!
Misky and I were talking about what to use instead of eggplant in ratatouille. BAM!
Loving that red lentil pasta!
Are either of you allergic?
I make a nice zucchini ganoush!
I don’t like eggplant and neither does Misky’s husband; a zucchini ganoush sounds delightful! No for allergies here!
Truthfully, it isn’t missed in this version. Eggplant pretty much absorbs the flavors around it and doesn’t add much to the party.
what a perfect way to celebrate the start of autumn!
Thank you Natasha! It is one of our favorites, and a dish I know can stretch for more than one meal – in some form!
Roasted vegetables go with anything, what a colorful combo! Sorry you can’t have eggplant. The red lentil pasta is a different twist, I’ll have to look for that.
Thank you! While I used to love eggplant parm, it’s really just as good with zucchini! I don’t miss it at all in a ratatouille.
A healthy and delicious way to eat pasta/ Love ratatouille and your recipe looks fantastic.
Thanks so much! We really enjoy this fish over pasta!
You are so frugal! I always have a few veggies that I don’t know what to do with. Great idea!
Thanks! Toss them in Jan! Or too with some nuts and serve it up again!
Yum! This sounds absolutely delicious and definitely fits in with dishes that my husband and I love. I will definitely give it a try!
Thanks so much! Enjoy all those wonderful vegetables!
Such a great way to get in all those vegetables! This dish looks fantastic.
I love recipes like this where you can use extra veggies up, and it looks delicious! That Red Lentil Pasta sounds great too!
The pasta was really tasty, and has definitely earned a spot in the pantry!
Rainbow of colors and tastes. 🙂
It is a rainbow Judy!
But there was a bit of fall in the air yesterday…
Oh my goodness but this looks delicious. I have peppers and squash that need to be cooked–I think it will be my supper for tonight!
It’s so easy, and so delicious!
I did not get it done that night, but I made it tonight and it was delicious! I served it over spaghetti.
Perfect!!!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Such a wonderful taste of the seasons!
This recipe looks very good, and I like your serving plate!
Thank you Mary! I think everything tastes a little better when presented with some care, and my Blue Willow plates have great family memories.
This must have the most divine layers of taste and scent. Roasting veg first makes a big difference to flavor! Good morning!
Good morning Cecilia! Thank you so much for your comment. The flavor of this dish is one I crave, and you are so right, the roasting makes a big difference!
Yummy!!!! The color of the food on that beautiful platter is so mouthwatering!
Thank you! The first bite with the eyes!
What a great way to use up the last of the garden veggies!
It’s always so flavorful, tastes like summer even as it is slowly leaving us.
This is a beautiful way to celebrate late summer. Fresh, healthy and delicious.
Thank you! It sure ticks all the boxes!
What a super delicious dish and super nutrient as well! As you said, no matter how you cook the veggies, this would be super tasty! I love red lentil pasta!
I never get tired of this one in any form!
Sorry to hear of your eggplant allergy, Dorothy. I love this recipe and will look for red lentil pasta in the future!
Happy hunter gathering!