Ratatouille, Disney Style

Who doesn't love a little Disney magic in their life?  I sure do!  So when we watched Disney Pixar's "Ratatouille" and Annalyn asked if she could eat ratatouille, I was happy to oblige.  Especially since we have an abundance of summer squash and zucchini in the garden right now.  Unlike the traditional method of chopping the vegetables and serving more like a stew, I made it "Disney style" like in the movie with thinly sliced, beautifully presented veggies.   Here's how this Disney Mama made it:

Ratatouille, Disney Style

Ingredients:
- 1 each (preferably long and skinny, very thinly sliced):  yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
- 3 T. olive oil, divided
- 1/2 medium onion, minced
- 2 T. minced garlic
- 2 t. balsamic vinegar
- 1 t. fresh thyme
- s/p to taste
- parchment paper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spread tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8x8" square or approximately 9" round casserole dish.

2.  Add minced onion, garlic, and 1 T. olive oil to the tomato sauce, stir slightly.  Add about 1 t. kosher salt and 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste.

3.  Thinly slice the vegetables using a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife (approximately 1/8" or thinner).  Layer the slices, starting on the outside of the dish and spiraling inwards towards the center, overlapping slightly. 

cut the top off the pepper, then gently remove stem and seeds before slicing

4.  Drizzle with remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.

5.  Cut parchment paper to fit inside the casserole dish, cover, and bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes. 

6.  Remove parchment and serve warm as a side or with brown rice or crusty bread. 

printable recipe

And for the Michael-approved version, I added sliced salami in place of the eggplant and cooked as above.  He appreciated the addition of meat since we ate it as a main course.  Although, I'm sure it's completely sacrilegious to add salami to ratatouille, it did look pretty good.

Optional (but recommended):  Follow up with your favorite Disney movie night!  The girls really enjoyed watching Ratatouille and eating the dish made just like Remy the rat did.