This earthy bowl of Ratatouille Pasta is the perfect meal to sit down to on a quiet Sunday afternoon after visiting the farmers market. There is nothing like freshly harvested herbs, fruits and vegetables! Pasta becomes the perfect base for sautéed veggies in this dish, just like in my Haluski with Noodles and Cabbage, Farfalle with Artichokes and Spinach and Spaghetti with Chard and Lentils.
How To Make Ratatouille Pasta
One of my favorite ways to incorporate a variety of vegetables into one dish is with ratatouille. Ratatouille is a classic French stew made of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs. But, instead of making a stew, I like to incorporate the vegetables into a delicious rustic pasta dish.
I like to use trumpet pasta for this recipe but you could definitely use any type of pasta you prefer. Trumpet (or horn) shaped past, once cooked look like mini lasagna noodles (as you'll see in pics below) and are just the right shape to capture the flavors and textures in the ratatouille.
Chopping The Vegetables
It's important to chop the vegetables on the thicker side so that they caramelize but still retain their shape and stay slightly firm.
Cooking The Eggplant
In order to get the vegetables to brown properly, I cook the eggplant separately from the rest. This gives the eggplant some room to get crispy and caramelized, which really makes a difference in the overall flavor.
Putting It All Together
I remove the eggplant from the pan and add in the onions and a splash of wine. This helps to break up some of the brown bits at the bottom of the pan from the eggplant.
Once the onions and alcohol have cooked down, I add the zucchini, peppers and cherry tomatoes (on a side note: in these shots I forgot to add the tomatoes but you get the idea), without moving them around too much so they also have a chance to brown.
Pasta Cooking Tips
One of the keys to a really good pasta dish is to add the pasta directly to the pan with the cooked vegetables. This way all those glorious brown bits will meld together with the juice from the vegetables, wine, oil and salted pasta water to make a delicious, light sauce. At that point, you can add in your fresh herbs.
I rarely can resist parmesan cheese on my pasta, but you can keep it completely plant-based by not adding any cheese or by using vegan cheese.
It's a meal the entire family will enjoy!
If you enjoyed this dish you may also like these recipes:
Pasta with Broccoli and Sun Dried Tomatoes
Ratatouille Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb trumpet pasta or other short pasta shape
- ½ cup reserved salted pasta water
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 zucchini 2 small or 1 large- quartered lengthwise then chopped into one inch sliced pieces
- 1 eggplant 2 small or 1 large -quartered lengthwise then chopped into one inch sliced pieces
- 1 pepper chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- fresh basil chopped
- ½ salt coarse or Kosher salt
- fresh pepper
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to package instructions.
- Before draining the pasta reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- While waiting for water to boil, in a separate large saute pan, heat half the olive on medium high heat.
- Add the eggplant and saute until golden brown about 5-8 min.
- Remove eggplant and set aside in a bowl.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the saute pan.
- Add the onions, garlic, dried herbs and red pepper flakes and saute for 2-3 min.
- Add the zucchini, peppers, cherry tomatoes and wine and generously season with salt.
- Stir veggies occasionally, allowing the wine to evaporate and the veggies to soften and caramelize (about 8-10 min). *you don't want mushy veggies, so undercooking is better than overcooking them.
- Combine the drained, cooked pasta along with the eggplant to the pan with cooked veggies.
- Add the reserved pasta water and toss, allowing all the flavors to meld together.
- Top with fresh basil and cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired.
Notes
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Nutrition
I prefer to focus on quality ingredients from a variety of sources that work in tandem to promote optimal health. Nutrition calculations may not reflect these valuable interactions. However, I understand certain values can be helpful to some. Please note these calculations are merely estimates. Values will vary depending on modifications, brands used, and portion size. Should you require specific information, it's best to consult with a dietitian or qualified healthcare provider.
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