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Pasta Ratatouille

Fresh summer veggies and herbs make the perfect topping for hearty pasta.
Rotini noodles with vegetables and shredded cheese.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 9 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked pasta (try rotini, penne or bow tie noodles)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup chopped onion (½ medium onion)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, cubed
1 small eggplant, cubed
2 medium tomatoes, cubed
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
  3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat (300 degrees F in an electric skillet). Add onion and garlic and cook until soft.
  5. Add bell pepper, zucchini, and eggplant. Cook about 10 to 12 minutes.
  6. Stir in tomatoes, salt, black pepper and basil. Cook another 2 to 4 minutes or until heated through.
  7. Serve over pasta and top with cheese.
  8. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

  • Try adding more seasonings such as oregano, red pepper flakes or fresh basil.

Comments

I made this with a class of head start parents. I think everyone liked what they cooked and for many it was their first time using eggplant. I enjoyed it with oregano and basil added. The chunky veggies make it hearty and filling. The sauce created by the veggies cooking looks thin but it adds flavor to the pasta. 

This is my go-to summer recipe when tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant are in season. The flavors go together so well and it looks beautiful. It stores well for left overs and is simple enough to double or triple and eat throughout the week or re-purpose into other dishes. We add some extra fresh herbs from the garden like rosemary, thyme and chives. Yumm!

I've made this recipe several times with middle/high school age kids (they love it), and at home (I love it)! It seems a little intimidating with all the veggies, but they are the perfect combination.  So many students have said, "Wow, eggplant IS good!".  I like to double the garlic for more flavor and top with swiss cheese.

So, so flavorful!!! Really! I didn't have any zucchini and sadly my eggplant was half brown....so i substituted mushrooms for all the zucchini and half the eggplant.  Also I was out of garlic so i just added some garlic powder at the end. Loved this recipe!! That said the eggplant was great in the recipe so if possible I will always add it. My version ended up having a whole lot more sauce than that shown in the photo which was a great bonus! Oh, also we used mozzarella cheese which tasted great.

This one looks good.

its nice recipes, i will try it at home ...

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