Baked Ratatouille Tian

This healthy baked ratatouille tian is a beautiful and easy-to-make side dish that’s comforting and delicious.

I had some veggies in the fridge that needed to be used up, so I went in search of recipe inspiration. I found a recipe for this beautiful baked ratatouille tian on Food to Glow that looked delicious and fun to make. I adapted the recipe to use what I had on hand, and it turned out tasty. We all enjoyed this baked ratatouille recipe and thought it paired nicely with some Parmesan halibut, a simple salad, and warm, crusty bread.

Baked Ratatouille Tian

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ yellow onion, diced finely
• 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, deseeded, diced
• 1½ cups passata **You can use tomato sauce
• Pinch of dried basil, to taste
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• ¼-½ tsp good balsamic vinegar, to taste
• Pinch of sugar, to taste

Vegetables:

• 2 large (or 3 small) Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly  **Cut all of the veggies the same thickness
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly  **Cut all of the veggies to the same thickness
• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced thinly  **Cut all of the veggies the same thickness
• ½ eggplant, sliced thinly **Cut all of the veggies the same thickness (If the eggplant is too big, cut each slice in half and use half-moons)
• ½ orange bell pepper, sliced into thin pieces similar to the other vegetables in size
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1-2 bay leaves

How to Make a Baked Ratatouille Tian

Make the sauce by heating the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, dried basil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper to taste, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add the passata, balsamic vinegar, and sugar, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes while you prep the vegetables. After simmering, taste the sauce and re-season to taste, if needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Ladle the sauce into the baking dish and set aside to cool for a bit.

Prepare the tian by alternating the vegetables starting at one end of the baking dish in a semi-reclining, overlapping pattern.  Side Note: The pattern depends on the shape of your baking dish.

Brush the vegetables with olive oil or garlic-infused olive oil, season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, then top with a sprig of fresh thyme and a couple of bay leaves.

Bake the ratatouille tian by covering it loosely with foil, then place it in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden on the edges, cooked through, and tender.

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Serve with warm, crusty bread. Enjoy.