In a previous post I shared my secret recipe for popcorn and a short list of my favorite movies about food, cooking, friendship, family and love. This week I’m sharing a recipe from one of those movies, Ratatouille. I guess it’s not surprising that I experience the same sort of emotions when cooking, sharing and eating a special dish or meal with people I love, as I do when watching some of my favorite stories told through movies. When we watch movies together, we share emotions. We experience the emotions of something we may never have an opportunity to do or live through ourselves. Sometimes, the story reflects our own, personal experiences. That’s when a story really connects! That’s how food can affect us too. Connecting us to memories, to experiences, and to those we love!
In Ratatouille, a wee creature, through the help of his human friend, and their common love of food, reconnects a cynical food critic to the reasons he embarked on his career in the first place. The scene that plays this out in the story is one of my favorites. The joy that Amon Ego, that’s the food critic’s name, finds in the moment is palpable. As you watch the emotions roll across his face, and he recalls some of his most cherished childhood memories, it evokes the same “reconnecting” in the viewer. It is a scientific fact that smells and aromas are the most deeply implanted memories we have. That is true, throughout nature and it’s why I sometimes have the most vivid memories of my mother, or father, grandfather or grandmother or many other family members, when a smell hits me. It’s powerful!
This is the same recipe from the movie Ratatouille. It can be the center of your meal, or a side dish. It will make up to 8 servings.
Prep time: 45 minutes – Cooking time: 40 to 60 minutes
Ingredients
Veggies
2-3 – skinny eggplants, Italian, if they’re available. If not you can slice and quarter the larger eggplants
6 – Roma tomatoes, more meaty, less seeds
2 – yellow squash
2 – zucchini
The Sauce
2T – olive oil – The quality of your olive oil makes a huge difference in flavor. My favorite comes from a shop in Hickory, NC. If you can’t visit The Natural Olive, check out their web site. www.naturalolivehickory.com They do ship.
1 – onion, diced, I prefer Vidalia sweet onions
1 – red bell pepper, diced
1 – yellow bell pepper, diced
4 – garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
28oz – crushed tomatoes, canned. I prefer Cento, if it’s available.
8-10 – basil leaves, fresh, chopped, about 2T
Herb Seasoning
4T – olive oil
8-10 – basil leaves, fresh, chopped, about 2T
2T – fresh parsley, chopped
2t – thyme, fresh
1t – garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Making the Magic
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Slice the eggplants, the squash, zucchini and tomatoes into 1/8” to ¼” slices. Not too thin or the veggies will end up mushy. Too thick and they will have less flavor and may be too firm. You don’t need to measure, and it doesn’t need to be perfect. Set the sliced veggies aside.
Make the Herb Seasoning. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the fresh basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. Set aside.
Make the Sauce. Heat your olive oil to medium high. Add the onion, garlic and bell peppers. Sauté until they are soft. I sometimes reduce the oil and add butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir until thoroughly mixed. Remove from the heat and add the fresh basil. Blend into the sauté mixture.
Transfer your beautiful sauce to a baking dish large enough to hold all your veggies. At least 12 inches. If you have leftover veggies they will make a great breakfast hash. Smooth the sauce evenly over the bottom of the dish. You’re creating a “bed” for the veggies. Starting from the outer edge of your dish begin stacking your veggies, on their edge, in an alternating pattern, working in a spiral, towards the middle, until you fill the dish. Eggplant, tomato, zucchini, squash, repeat.
Stir your herb mixture. Spoon it over the top of the veggies in your dish. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cover your dish. Best is to cut a piece of parchment to fit down, into the dish. The parchment prevents browning of the top of the veggies and allows steam to escape while it’s baking. Next best is to cover with a piece of foil, cut to fit down inside the dish. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes. Monitor the progress of the veggies. Cook them to the tenderness you prefer. I prefer soft, but not mushy. For effect, take the dish out of the oven and put the parchment back on top of the dish.
Bring the dish to the table covered. Then, when everybody is looking and anticipating, pull the cover off and say, TADAH! OR as the French would say, Bon Apetit!
Variations to keep this new
After removing the cover and baking for about 10 minutes, sprinkle heavily with shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan, or just Parmesan. The Mozarella will make a stringy coating on top. The Parmesan will brown more quickly and toast on top.
Different, infused olive oils, will add subtle flavors.
Wines we love with this.
Dry Rose
Chianti
Chardonnay
Leftovers
Reheat in the oven at 350° with cheese on top. Serve on top of toasted Italian or sour dough bread. If the slices are dried out, it works best. The toast will end up crunchy. Toast the bread until it is brown and drizzle with olive oil. Try different, infused olive oil to change up the flavor.
This is also awesome with soft scrambled eggs and a crunchy French Baguette.
Bon appétit mon amour!
Question: How would you change this dish? Could this be a vegetarian main dish? Please tell me if you have seen the movie and did you like it.
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