This meal takes some time and effort to prepare, but it is so worth it!

Okay, I’ll admit that I was turned on to ratatouille because of the movie. But as soon as I tried the final product I fell in love with the dish itself. I love the simple vegetable flavors and the fancy preparation, the sweet tomato sauce underneath and the beautiful colors on top.

The key to this recipe is getting all the slices of vegetables roughly the same thickness. Using a mandolin is the easiest way to do this, but if you are like me and are terrified of mandolins for some reason, you can carefully cut each piece using a sharp knife.

Now, my recipe is a little different from others. I don’t remove the tomato skins, or use eggplant (not a personal favorite), or make a blended sauce for the bottom. But this recipe is fairly easy to adapt. Throw in your favorite French veggies! Try out different sauces for the bottom! Eat food the way you like it!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for pouring on top
• 4 cloves garlic
• 8-10 roma tomatoes
• Chicken stock (as needed)
• Fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 4-5 red skinned potatoes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Thyme or rosemary, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Roughly chop 4-5 tomatoes. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then reduce heat to medium low. Let simmer until tomatoes are broken down, stirring occasionally. If the sauce gets too dry, add in chicken stock and stir. Once the tomatoes are broken down and a sauce is formed, add in fresh basil leaves and cook another few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in flour, stirring into the butter, and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in milk about a 1/4 of a cup at a time. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens. Add in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. While sauces are cooking, wash and chop the veggies (using a knife or a mandolin).
5. Spread tomato sauce on bottom of the baking dish, then pour white sauce in swirls over it. Layer in veggies, alternating between them in a pattern. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs, and cover with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until the veggies are tender and steaming. Serve warm!