After many failed attempts to make a pretty Ratatouille, I realized it would be faster to simply decorate the top! So, I layered my eggplant, squashes and tomatoes in a spicy marinara sauce. I then made a simple cauliflower bechamel and topped the dish.
I used left over squash, peppers, red onion, tomatoes and oregano to just create a little flower scene. Took less than 5 minutes… much less time that trying to match up 4 different shaped vegetable into uniform stacks.
The Alfredo flavored bechamel added a nice creaminess too! I made it with steamed cauliflower, garlic, nutmeg, lemon juice and salt.
If you have the Ninja Foodie blender, make your bechamel in that.
Garden Ratatouille
Eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes layered in a spicy marinara sauce topped with a creamy bechamel of pureed cauliflower. Scraps of vegetables and herbs are used to create a garden on top! This is a fast recipe to put together but is strikingly beautiful when served.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Covered Casserole dish
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cup Marinara sauce I use Lucina spicy Tuscan sauce,
- 1 Japanese eggplant
- 1 Zucchini squash
- 1 Yellow squash
- 2 roma tomato
- grape tomatoes and assorted herbs and vegetable scraps for topping Red onion, zucchini skin, squash end, grape tomatoes, oregano sprigs, a baby bell pepper
Cauliflower Bechamel
- 1 Cauliflower
- 1 Tbsp Garlic
- 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 Tsp Himalayan salt salt to your taste
- 1/4 Tsp White pepper
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Start the cauliflower bechamel as it needs to be completed to finish this dish.
- Slice eggplant yellow squash and tomatoes into 1/4" slices. Before slicing, you may want to use a peeler to provide a strip of yellow or purple for your topping.
- Use a vegetable peeler and cut zucchini into long, thin, slices. I use a wide peeler. Set aside the first and last peel of zucchini skin for garnish.
- Pour marinara sauce into casserole dish. add salt or any seasonings as desired. Personally I add 1/2 tsp calabrian chili and 1/4 tsp garlic to mine.
- Lay down a layer of eggplant, then tomato, then yellow squash.
- Add more marinara between the layers of tomatoes and yellow squash if desired.
- Finish layering with even layers of zucchini to make a smooth top.
- Carefully top the zucchini with the bechamel and try to get an even layer. Like icing a cake. Be careful to avoid pulling any marinara into your sauce
- Use green zucchini stems and fresh oregano sprigs to make stems. Use thin sliced red onion, peppers, grape tomatoes and squash pieces to make your flowers. There is no pattern here and I used a LOT less than what I thought I would need.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes at 375°F. If you have no cover, use parchment paper.
Cauliflower Bechamel
- Steam cauliflower until soft. Add cauliflower (no water) and remaining bechamel ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
This is a Snap Pea Sheep recipe.
I served this with a simple salad so I had a red onion on hand. I also had a few baby bells. It took me about two minutes to lay out the garden image on top. No plan or pictures. You can make the bechamel a little creamer by adding 1/2 soaked cashews or almond slivers soaked in 1/4 cup plant milk before blending. (I use So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk).
Almond slivers will give it a nutty flavor similar to parmesan cheese.
You may also use a potato instead of cauliflower, or make a standard bechamel with flour, milk and maybe wine. I wanted this low carb and gluten free.
If you wish to add pasta, put dry pasta in with your marinara.
Lucina is not 100% compliant as it has olive oil. I have since find a brand that IS compliant called Otamot (Tomato backwards).
