An elegant layered and cannabis-infused French ratatouille recipe
If you're looking for a meat-free main dish or side that is fancy enough to serve on special occasions but also simple enough to pull off without sweating for hours over a hot stove, then ratatouille might just be the perfect solution. Of course, if you wanted to spice things up a bit, you could always incorporate a protein of choice. Still, this particular ratatouille recipe keeps things simple, is 100% vegan friendly, and delicious just the way it is.
What is ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a typical French stewed vegetable combination that originated in Nice. Each recipe varies greatly, but some of the most used ingredients include eggplant, onion, garlic, tomato, and some mix of leafy greens. It's a layered dish that is visually appealing, and it comes with a texture that is often compared to that of pasta, likely at least in part due to its generous layer of tomato sauce.
Ratatouille recipe
Ratatouille might look like something you'd spot in a food magazine, but it's straightforward to make as long as you have the right ingredients on hand. For this recipe, we'll be using cannabis oil to infuse the food, so if you haven't already got some on hand, make sure to check out our how-to guide so that you can whip up a catch before you get started.
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour 10 minutes
Calories: 163
Servings: 6-8
Vegetable ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 2 medium eggplants
- 2 medium yellow squash
- 6 medium Roma tomato
Sauce ingredients
- 28 oz can of unspiced crushed tomatoes
- 1 large cooking onion (peeled and diced)
- 1 large red bell pepper (cored and diced)
- 1 large yellow bell pepper (cored and diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons cannabis-infused oil (olive preferred)
- 2 tablespoons basil (chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Herbs
- 4 tablespoons cannabis-infused oil (olive preferred)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
Tools
- Paring knife
- Cast iron pan
- Silicone spatula
- Small bowl
- Spoon
Instructions
-
Preheat an oven to 375 F.
Cut the large vegetables as thin as you can into round slices and then set them aside for now.
Add the cannabis-infused oil for the sauce into a saucepan and warm it over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, toss in the rest of the sauce ingredients, and saute them until the onions are translucent and soft, which should take between 8-10 minutes.
Season the onion with salt and pepper, and then pour in the crushed tomatoes before stirring all of the ingredients until they're thoroughly combined.
Remove the cast iron pan from the burner, and add in the basil, giving the sauce one final stir before moving onto the placement of the vegetables.
Now, it's time to layer the sliced veggies, alternating between each one in a circular pattern for a gorgeous visual effect
Once the vegetables are layered, season them with salt and pepper, and then combine all of the herb ingredients in a small bowl.
Spoon the herb mixture evenly across the vegetables, followed by a drizzle of the remaining cannabis oil.
Encase the ingredient in the pan using aluminium foil before baking the dish in the oven for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and remove the aluminium foil before popping the whole thing one last time in the oven to bake uncovered for a final 20 minutes.
Storage
Ratatouille is always best when it's enjoyed fresh out of the pan, but it can be stored away for later with proper care. If you seal this dish once it's cooled to room temperature in an airtight container, it can last for up to four days in the fridge, with virtually no change in the taste or texture. Just make sure to heat it slowly, either in a saucepan over medium heat or in 30-second increments in the microwave to avoid drying out the juicy vegetables that hold most of the appeal of the meal.
