Spiral Ratatouille

Annette Atwood’s Italian heritage gifted her with a balanced sense of what’s traditional and correct. Her innate good taste leads her to what’s new and worth trying. When she happened upon a camera-ready Spiral Ratatouille recipe, she tried it, tweaked it, and delivered it to our studio for a photo finish. It was not only ready for its close-up, but it was downright booming with bright flavors and inviting textures.

How did Ratatouille Get Its Name?

Yes, Ratatouille is also the name of the classic and heartwarming film about a rat that wants to be a chef and gets into various hijinks to achieve his culinary dreams. But, thankfully for your health, there are no rats in an actual spiral ratatouille dish. The name “ratatouille” comes from the French word “ratatouiller,” which means “to stir up.” This reflects the usual method of preparation. Traditionally, ratatouille is a Provençal vegetable stew made with ingredients like tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and herbs, making it a rare meal that is healthy, upscale, and delicious. In this version, evenly sliced veggies are arranged over a layer of flavorful tomato sauce, making the dish into something that provokes visual delight for the eyes as well as culinary delight for the tastebuds.

Spiral Ratatouille

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• Author: Annette Atwood

Print Recipe

Description

Both gorgeous and delicious, this dish checks two boxes essential to hosting a great dinner party.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 eggplants, long and narrow
• 6 plum tomatoes
• 2 yellow squashes, long and narrow
• 2 zucchinis, long and narrow
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 Cubanelle pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
• 28 oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into 1/8-inch discs.
2. In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil. Add onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook until tender. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir for a minute or two until bubbling. Decant sauce into a large round braising pan with lid.
3. Starting at the outer edge of the braising pan, place vegetable slices in a spiral, in a regular, repetitive sequence: eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini.
4. Once the surface is covered with the vegetable spiral: in a small bowl, stir together basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Brush over the vegetable slices.
5. Place lid on the braising pan and place in oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and let roast for another 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not overdone. Then you have your spiral ratatouille!

Story and Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce

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