Ratatouille

This recipe for Ratatouille is pretty easy, the only difficulty comes from the mis en place, or the French word for set up. There are a lot of vegetables that need to be sliced before you can start cooking, but as always the end result is absolutely delicious.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 100 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

Vegetables

• 2 zucchinis
• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 eggplants
• Make sure each vegetable is similar in diameter

Herb Topping

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Sauce

1. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat.
2. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
4. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.

Vegetables and Herb Mix

1. While the sauce is cooking down, slice the veggies into 1/16 to 1/8 inch slices, the smaller the better. I recommend using a mandolin on the smallest setting to get consistently sized slices.
2. Place each in separate plates or bowls so you can begin stacking.
3. Combine all of the ingredients of the herb mixture and combine throughly.

Final Assembly

1. Now that everything else has been completed it is time to begin stacking. Create a pattern (for example tomato, eggplant, squash, and zucchini) and begin layering the vegetables in the shape of the pan. Continue stacking until all of the veggies have been placed or the pan has been filled.
2. Cover with tinfoil and place in an oven preheated to 375 for approximately 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes remove from the oven and remove the foil. Drizzle the herb mixture on top and place back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Serve straight out of the oven.

Classic Red Sauce with a Twist (of Lemon)

This is my go-to red sauce for any pasta dish. It provides lots of tomato flavor, a little bit of spice, and beats anything that comes from a jar from the supermarket. It can be made in advance, creates enough sauce for about 1 lb. of pasta, and can be stored in the refrigerator for about 1 week, making this the perfect ingredient in weekday meal prep.

Prep Time: 15

Cooking Time: 40

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 half diced red onion
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh, torn basil
• Splash of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)

Cooking the Sauce

1. Puree the whole tomatoes to a smooth consistency in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Personally I prefer a sauce that is a little chunkier and more rustic which is broken down with a spoon, that way when you are eating that pasta there is more overall texture. Additionally, when you bite into a chuck of tomato there is a little burst of flavor and moisture that complements any pasta dish.
2. Begin to heat the olive oil over medium to high heat in a large saucepan. Once it gets nice and hot add the onions and sauté 5 to 6 minutes, at which point they should be relatively soft. Now add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, allowing for the color to change and extra flavor to develop. If you want to add some heat to the sauce add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
3. Once the garlic and onions have been sweated off, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minutes. Check back every five minutes or so to check on the consistency of the sauce and to make sure nothing is burning or sticking to the pan. You are aiming for a consistency that's not too wet or too dry, such that it still clings to the pasta, but this really comes down to preference. 
4. Add the basil and remove from the heat. Toss with just-cooked pasta and a splash of lemon juice.