Chunks of courgette, aubergine, onion and tomato roasted to perfection in a balsamic and garlic dressing and stirred into pasta -easy comfort food with a healthy twist. If you are trying to get more vegetables into your diet, then this Ratatouille Pasta is the recipe for you.
About this ratatouille pasta recipe
This is a light and fresh pasta dish that is perfect for summer. Easy to adapt with your favourite vegetables, or whatever needs using up, it's filling and comforting without being too heavy.
A vibrant dish that it perfect for serving up to guests and it would be a great BBQ side dish too. Reduce food waste and eat more veggies - that's a win for us.
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Ratatouille pasta ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta - Really, anything goes here when it comes to the pasta. We used rigatoni, but penne, fusilli, or even spaghetti work. It is a chunky sauce, so it won't really cling to the pasta.
- Courgette - Look for a vibrant and rich colour courgette. Don't choose one that is too big, as they tend to be watery and flavourless.
- Aubergine - Look for aubergines with smooth, shiny skin that are uniform in colour and heavy for their size.
- Bell peppers - We used red and yellow, for a nice pop of bright colour. However, green and orange will work too. You could also use roasted red peppers.
- Onion - We used red onion in this recipe, however brown onion or even shallots will work.
- Tomatoes - This recipe will be best when using in season tomatoes. Fresh, ripe and juicy tomatoes are what give this dish such an amazing flavour. We used cherry tomatoes, as we love that pop of flavour. We also added some sun-dried tomatoes for a more intense tomato flavour.
- Oil - This makes up the majority of the dressing that the vegetables are cooked it and helps them to crisp up. Try to use a really good quality olive oil, as you really will be able to taste the difference.
- Balsamic vinegar - Just like the olive oil, try to use a really good quality one, as it will have more flavour. Cheaper versions tend to be a bit watery, and that's not what you want.
- Dried herbs - We used a mixture of oregano and basil.
- Parmesan - What is a pasta dish without cheese? If you want to make this vegetarian or vegan, then use your favourite alternative.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make ratatouille pasta - Step by step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/425°F/Gas 7
One: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Two: Put all of the vegetables into a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well.
Three: Put the vegetables in a single layer on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 45 minutes, mixing half way through.
You will need a large baking tray for the vegetables. You want to make sure that there is enough room for them all in the pan, as if they are too close together they will steam rather than crisp up.
Four: Cook your pasta so it is cooked when the 45 minutes is up. Serve the vegetables mixed into the cooked pasta and top with chopped basil and grated Parmesan (both optional).
What is ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a French stewed vegetable dish that originated in Nice. Although recipes and cooking times will differ widely, common ingredients include tomato, garlic, onion, courgette, aubergine and green herbs. It is sometimes referred to as ratatouille niçoise.
Traditionally it is a stew (see our Ratatouille recipe), however we have taken the same vegetables and flavours, and then roasted them and mixed them into pasta.
Variations
The key to this recipe being the best it possibly can be is roast the vegetables. It will take a bit longer, but it's totally worth it. You could fry them in a pan if you wanted to save time.
We roasted up some courgette, aubergine, onion and tomatoes. However, this recipe is so easy to adapt, making it a great way to use up vegetables.
It might make it less traditional, but all in the name of reducing food waste, right? Vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers and asparagus will all work./p>
Make sure to use softer vegetables, as they are quicker to cook quicker until vegetables like carrots. Make sure they are all cut evenly, so they cook at the same time. They should all be about the same size as the cherry tomatoes.
To make a creamy version of this pasta, you could stir in a couple of tablespoons of creme fraiche or even cream cheese.
What to serve with ratatouille pasta
This pasta dish really has it all. You don't have to serve it with a side dish, as it has so many vegetables packed into it already. However if you did want some sides, we have some suggestions for you:
- Slow Cooker Green Beans
- Balsamic and Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Lemon Asparagus
- Roasted Garlic and Herb Mushrooms
- Spanish Olives
You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too. Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette.
Our Cheesy Garlic Bread or Air Fryer Garlic Bread also goes really well with it.
FAQs
This is a delicious plant based meal, and we could all use more of those in our life, right? So, it really doesn't need any meat. However, if you are serving it up to someone that really can't eat a meal without meat or fish, then there are some options. You could stir in some leftovers from Roast Chicken or even add some fried prawns or grilled salmon.
If you have leftovers of this, then it will keep in an air tight container for up to 3 days. To reheat it, add it to a frying pan with a little bit of water to heat through. It will be a bit dry, so the water is needed.
You can also freeze this pasta dish in a freezable container and it will keep for up to 2 months.
It really depends on how good your kids are at eating vegetables. The vegetables on this dish are far from hidden, as they are chunky and in full view - some kids are fine with that. If your kids are on the fussier side, you could blend all the vegetables up once roasted, and then stir it into the pasta for more or a hidden sauce.
More pasta recipes
If you’ve tried this ratatouille pasta, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Roasted Ratatouille Pasta
Ingredients
- 280 g (10 oz) Pasta
For the vegetables:
- 1 Aubergine (eggplant) - diced
- 2 Courgette (zucchini) - diced
- 1 Red bell pepper - diced
- 1 Yellow bell pepper - diced
- 1 Red onion - diced
- 240 g (1.66 cups) Cherry tomatoes
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 0.5 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon Dried basil
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
To serve:
- Fresh basil - chopped (to serve)
- Parmesan - grated (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat your over to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 .
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoon Olive oil, 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Tomato puree, 2 Garlic clove, 0.5 teaspoon Dried oregano, 0.5 teaspoon Dried basil and 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper.
- Put 1 Aubergine (eggplant), 2 Courgette (zucchini), 1 Red bell pepper, 1 Yellow bell pepper, 1 Red onion and 240 g Cherry tomatoes into a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well.
- Put the vegetables in a single layer on a baking tray and cook for 45 minutes, mixing half way through.
- 12 minutes before the vegetables are cooked, put 280 g Pasta in a pan of boiling water and simmer until cooked and then drain.
- Mix the vegetables and pasta together and serve topped with Fresh basil and Parmesan (both optional).
Recipe tips
- Make sure all the vegetables are cut evenly, so they will all cook at the same time.
- You will need a large baking tray for the vegetables. You want to make sure that there is enough room for them all in the pan, as if they are too close together they will steam rather than crisp up.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
This looks so lovely! I like to add balsamic vinegar to my pasta sauces to give it that sweetness without adding any sugar.
Sarah Irving | Susty Meals
Yum! This recipe sounds amazing, Dannii! I'm definitely adding this to the meal plan! :D x
Kate | The Veg Space
Yum - what a great idea! Love the sound of balsamic roasted ratatouille, so many ways you could use that. Thanks for linking to my balsamic peach tarts x
Nadia's Healthy Kitchen
Ooo interesting idea to mix ratatouille with spaghetti, great way to add lots of veggies :) I love aubergine but the taste can be overpowering sometimes. I find it tastes best in a tomato based dish, like this one ;)