Rustic Ratatouille & Goat Cheese
One of our favorite quick appetizers to make is tomato sauce with goat cheese. We prepare a simple marinara and place it in a baking dish with a chunk of goat cheese in the middle, then bake it. Served with french bread, this is an easy and delicious snack.
I took this idea and combined it with ratatouille for a hearty vegetarian entree. Using the same base, I added sliced zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes to the top before baking. It is savory, heart healthy recipe that is great for people who don’t do well with cow’s milk. Serve it with crostini or chunks of french bread to sop up all of the herbed, tomato goodness.
The Recipe
Rustic Ratatouille & Goat Cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 large white onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/2 tsp basil, dried
- 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to your taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 eggplant, thinly sliced (the smaller the better for this recipe)
- 1 zucchini squash, thinly sliced
- 3 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 loaf french bread
- Place the olive oil, onion and carrot in a small stock pot
- Turn on the heat to medium and cook until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally (I start the oil colder with marinara and similar sauces because I think it pulls out more of the flavor of the root vegetables as the oil heats up)
- Add the garlic, thyme and basil and cook for 1-2 minutes (I like adding the dried herbs at this time because it toasts them and brings out more of their flavor)
- Add the whole can of diced tomatoes (do not drain), salt and pepper and cook on low for 15-20 minutes to allow sauce to thicken a little and for the flavors to meld together, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Pour the warm tomato sauce in a 4″ deep baking dish (about 8″ in diameter, but you can use whatever you have that will work)
- Sprinkle the goat cheese evenly over the tomato sauce
- Layer the sliced eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes on top of the sauce, pushing them into the sauce about half way
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the tomato sauce is bubbling
- Serve warm with french bread and enjoy!