Vegan Lemon Pesto Ratatouille
This summer-y, Lemon Pesto Ratatouille tastes even better than it looks. Made with pesto, zucchini, tomatoes, and eggplant, you can go from slicing to plating in just under an hour.
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Introduction
Ratatouille is a traditional French dish - made from only vegetables and (typically) a tomato sauce. This version flips that idea on its head by using a lemon pesto sauce, to produce a lighter, fresher dish that’s perfect for a summer’s night (especially if you’re looking to impress).
This recipe only has 7 ingredients, and can be made from start to finish in just under an hour. Give yourself a little extra time if you’re a new cook - it does take a bit of chopping technique, but once you get the hang of it, you’re all set.
I’ve always loved pesto and we used to serve ratatouille at the restaurant I worked at. I remember making them for the first time on my second day and thinking how beautiful they looked (we would make them in ring moulds, with a circular pattern so they would look like roses) - so combining the ratatouille with pesto just made sense, y’know?
This dish requires a little elbow grease, and some technique, but don’t sweat it if you take longer than the guidelines. Take your time. Only get it in the oven when you feel you’re happy with it. It’s more important to do it right than it is to do it fast.
The secret to this dish is to make the width of each slice as consistent as possible. You want them to be fairly thin - if I had to approximate, I’d say about 2mm, but just aim for your idea of thin, and you’ll be okay. The reason you want to be consistent is so that each vegetable cooks at the same time. You don’t want a burnt tomato and a raw zucchini.
Check out the Spruce it Up section for ideas on how to take this recipe to the next level.
Before we Get Started
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
2 Zucchinis
1 Eggplant (fairly large)
5 Roma Tomatoes
1 cup Dairy-Free Milk
I used unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 cup Corn Starch
1/3 cup Pesto
Splash of Lemon Juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Pour your milk, corn starch, and pesto into a pan, and bring to a boil. Use a whisk to stir while the sauce is coming up to heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and reduce by 1/2 while stirring. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper in, give it a taste, and add more as needed.
You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce coats the back of a spoon without dripping from the spoon.
Thinly slice your zucchinis, eggplant, and roma tomatoes.
Do your best to make sure that each slice is the same thickness.
Also, try to make them the same size. Do this by cutting your eggplant into thirds or quarters so that its similar to your zucchini and roma tomato slices.
Drizzle some oil into a deep baking tray, and use your hands to coat the sides of the tray with the oil. Pour in 3/4 of your pesto sauce (make sure it’s evenly spread along the bottom of the tray).
My baking tray is 9in. x 9in., but use whatever you have on hand.
Grab a slice of eggplant, a slice of zucchini, and a slice of tomato. Stack them on top of each other, and continue to stack them in the same order. When you reach a point where you can’t hold your stack any longer, place them sideways into the tray (like in the picture above).
When you’re baking tray is completely full, pour the remaining quarter of pesto sauce over top of the vegetables.
Toss the tray in the oven, and set a timer for 30 minutes.
When the 30 minute timer goes off, grab a fork and (lightly) stab the vegetables. If the fork slides in, you’re all set - the vegetables are cooked. If you feel a lot of resistance, put the ratatouille back in for five more minutes and try again.
Enjoy.
Spruce it Up
Ratatouille typically has summer squash in it (a thin, yellow squash). I couldn’t find any at the store, but they taste great and add a nice colour.
Drizzle some olive oil over top from a more luscious taste.
If you have ring moulds, you can build a flower design fairly easily.
Place some tin foil around the ring mould.
Lay your sliced vegetables out, one by one across a clean surface. Layer them so that they overlap slightly.
The line of slices should be approximately 2 feet long.
Roll them up in one even motion.
Don’t push yourself too far with the rolls or they might collapse everywhere. Do a bit at a time and add to your flower design slowly.
Place your roll in the centre of the ring mould. Add more slices one by one until your mould is full, and you have nice flower design.