When we were first introduced to Ratatouille, it was met with resounding disappointment. There was not a single ratatouille recipe that did not turn out poorly. Everyone’s typical response was something along the lines of “eh…” But that’s when I came across this Roasted Ratatouille Pasta.
What we didn’t get was why the Anton Ego guy seemed to be so enthusiastic about it. Apparently, even a rat can make it.
Even though Tyler’s Ultimate cookbook has some of the best mac ‘n’ cheese and minestrone soup ever made, we’ve never been able to successfully follow the man’s instructions, resulting instead in either an undercooked mess of gummy eggplant and sad zucchini that made you want to cry out of frustration or a fully cooked but relatively flavorless concoction.
Ahem, well, that’s not the case anymore. We felt obligated to tell you about this Roasted Ratatouille Pasta that we made because it was so very tasty. We’re not all just going to sit around and eat tofu and dumplings all day, despite our moniker.
The key to making ratatouille is to roast the tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and onion instead of boiling them. AND good tomatoes, of course. Cherry tomatoes were chosen for this dish because of their petite size and the fact that they become sweet and wrinkled when roasted.
We upped the ante by including sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste. The pasta is an added treat to this dish. The result is delicious if you mix the ratatouille, fresh herbs, and parmesan cheese with pasta. A toasted baguette with the same preparation is also fantastic.
It bears repeating that this ratatouille pasta dish is fantastic; many of our readers have made it at home and agreed.
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 oz. of spaghetti
- 5 minced sun dried tomatoes
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 3 cups of cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups of diced zucchini
- 2 cups of diced eggplant
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herb seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon of dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
- chopped fresh parsley
- Parmesan cheese
- julienned fresh basil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make sure your oven is at 400 degrees. Add diced cherry tomatoes, onion, zucchini, and eggplant to a large mixing bowl.
- Blend together 1 tablespoon of minced onion, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste in a small bowl. Blend in the spices and seasonings. Toss the vegetables with this concoction until they are well coated.
- Take a baking sheet and line it with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Vegetables should be spread out evenly over the pan. Throw everything in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, tossing the veggies once.
- Pasta cooked to al dente should be tossed with a ratatouille that has been roasted in the oven, along with fresh herbs like basil, parsley, and parmesan. Serve!