Ratatouille with Penne

It's not often you can say you were inspired to try a dish because of an animated rodent. Well, here goes: I saw Remy cook Ratatouille and I wanted to make it! It's weird the way Pixar films seem to affect people. Don't believe me? Here's someone who actually put balloons on their house, Up-style.

I've known about Ratatouille (the dish) for a while, even before seeing Ratatouille (the film). And it's a daunting dish. I once attempted Julia Child's justifiably famous Ratatouille casserole. It was an unmitigated disaster. To start with, it's a difficult recipe if you're still trying to feel your way around the kitchen. It requires each element to be cooked separately, before arranging it in layers in a casserole dish. Simply put, it's a project, more appropriate for a special occasion and a long afternoon. It's not a dish that you can just throw together, let's say, after work or school.

Enter Jacques Pépin. If you know me, you know Jacques Pépin is my favorite public television chef by a clear margin (sorry Julia!). On television, he's charming and humble. And he's a great teacher. If you haven't seen him in action, I really encourage you to check out some of his episodes - they're up on YouTube. In fact, you can watch the episode from which I took this recipe here.

More importantly, his recipes never fail. Ever. Trust me when I say you must try this recipe.

Unlike the traditional Ratatouille, all the ingredients here are cooked together in the same pot. All you need are some fresh vegetables. Combine those with some pantry staples and thirty minutes later you have a perfectly tasty Ratatouille - without the muss and fuss of the traditional recipe.

As I mentioned earlier, the class Ratatouille is cooked separately and combined only in the end. Here, everything is cooked together. A important note: go the extra mile and try to get the best vegetables you can find. Farmer's Markets are great for this dish. But most major supermarkets stock things like Japanese eggplant these days. If you can only find regular eggplant, that's fine too. 

Cut all the ingredients into roughly evenly sized pieces, according to the ingredient list below. Open the can of diced tomatoes. And chop the garlic coarsely. Put everything in a bowl and set aside. 

Next, pour a little olive oil into the saucepan and put the rest of the ingredients into the saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Mix well; reduce heat to low, cover, and cook gently for about 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, you can begin testing the vegetables. You want them to be cooked but still somewhat firm - something beyond crisp-tender. 

Stir occasionally throughout the cooking period. 

After about 20-30 minutes, the mixture should be pretty much done. If the mixture still has a lot of liquid, reduce it by boiling, uncovered, for another 5 minutes. 

Let cool for 10-20 minutes. The flavors improve with time. Plus you can taste the vegetables better if it's not scalding hot - trust me on this.

Meanwhile, for the penne pasta, bring 3 quarts salted water to boil in a large pot. Add the penne and stir it in well. Return to a boil, stirring occasionally, and cook according to the package directions. Here it's a good idea to cook it a little less than the range might indicate. So for instance, if it says 11-13 minutes, aim for the low end. If the pasta is overcooked, it'll break apart when you mix it in with the ratatouille. 

Now, we're almost done. Combine the ratatouille, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste in a glass bowl. If the ratatouille has really cooled down, microwave it quickly for a couple of minutes to warm it through. 

Drain the pasta and add it to the ratatouille in the bowl. Sprinkle on the cheese and mix well. Divide among four hot plates (you can heat the plates in the oven or, if microwave-safe, in the microwave). 

Garnish with basil and grated cheese. Have more cheese at the table to pass around. And as Jacques would say ...

Happy cooking!

Variations

Ratatouille is often served on its own. This ratatouille is no different. For a simple variation, serve in a bowl, sprinkled with cheese, basil, and olive oil to taste. Serve with crusty bread on the side, scooping some of the ratatouille onto the bread. Enjoy

Chef's Note

The amount of food here easily serves 4 people, if not more. If you're only serving 1 or 2 people, what I like to do is make enough pasta for however many people you have. Cook the pasta and then just add some of the ratatouille mixture to the cooked pasta. The rest of the ratatouille keeps fine in the fridge and can be reheated as needed. 

INGREDIENTS (Ratatouille)

2 long Japanese eggplants or 1 medium-to-large regular eggplant (about 12-14 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces

2 small-to-medium firm zucchini (about 10 ounces total), cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 cubanelle or long Italian peppers (about 1/2 pound total), seeded and cut into 1-inch peices

2 cups cubed (3/4-inch) onions

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in sauce

2 teaspoons salt

Olive oil to taste

INGREDIENTS (Penne)

Salt

3/4 pound penne (or similar shaped pasta)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table

Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Courtesy of Jacques Pépin's More Fast Food My Way - Episode 225, Vegetable Fête