Easy Ratatouille Recipe To Help You Channel Your Inner Chef Remy

Anyone who saw Disney's "Ratatouille" was undoubtedly as impressed as icy food critic Anton Ego was when Chef Remy recreated an old-school French classic. In its most basic form, ratatouille is a dish of summer veggies sautéed in olive oil and stirred into a rich tomato sauce. But, in the Disney film, Chef Remy puts a fancy twist on the dish by thinly slicing all of the vegetables and baking them in the manner of a tian.

The recipe in the film was, of course, not invented by an adorable rat in a chef's hat. Rather, it's a dish that was created by poor laborers in France. Chef Thomas Keller totally transformed this recipe when he put such a lavish spin on it for the Disney film, and he dubbed it "confit byaldi" (via Olives for Dinner). And thanks to the recipe below from recipe developer Erin Johnson of Probably in the Kitchen, ratatouille is a cinch to recreate right in your own kitchen.

Johnson's recipe is prepared with summer squash, zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, and eggplant, just like the original. But she also adds potato, which she notes adds a sturdiness to the dish. "I like the addition of the potato for texture," she says. "The other vegetables get very soft and I like the addition of a different texture." As a result, perhaps, of the potato, this dish works just as well as a vegetarian main or a side to grilled chicken or beef.

To make this Disney ratatouille dish, you'll begin by spicing up some store-bought tomato sauce with southern French faves: garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Over the top, you'll layer thin slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red and yellow bell pepper, and potato. Be sure to choose veggies that are fairly uniform in size for a prettier final presentation.

You'll also need herbs and aromatic spices to infuse the olive oil you'll drizzle over the top (thyme, garlic powder, and herbes de Provence). Add a touch of salt and pepper, and you've got everything you need to prepare this delightful Disney ratatouille.

To make this Disney ratatouille, begin by preheating the oven to 375 F. While the oven reaches the temp, you can prepare the pan. Simply combine the tomato sauce, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, and pour into a tart pan or shallow casserole dish, spreading evenly over the bottom. Johnson opts for a 12-inch tart pan for her version, but there's no need to go out and buy one if you don't have this size or shape at home! "The size of the pan doesn't really matter," Johnson explains. "You would just use more or less veggies."

Next, turn your attention to the vegetables. Slice them thinly and evenly using a mandolin or a knife. Johnson opts for the latter, which, she notes "is the easiest way to get uniformly sliced veggies."

And yes, a mandoline is quite sharp, and you must use extra caution when using one in the kitchen so you don't get cut. But, a mandoline will get the small, even slices that you need to make this recipe look as amazing as it will taste. It will also help the prep time be fast. So, if you use one, simply keep in mind that proper use of a mandoline is just a question of common sense and care. "Use the finger guard and be careful to keep your fingers away from the blade, and it will make the slicing time go quickly," says Johnson.

Next up, it's time to arrange the veggies over the tomato sauce base. To do this, make a stack of one slice of each vegetable, considering the differences in color as you do. The yellow bell pepper and yellow summer squash, for example, shouldn't end up side by side. Place the stack into the dish, overlapping slightly. Continue stacking and placing the veggies, keeping them in the same order each time, and working concentrically towards the center.

This, Johnson notes, is not a difficult step, but it is the most time-consuming. But, don't lose heart! It's also what makes this ratatouille such a showstopper.

When you've finally layered all of the veggies in the dish, there's just one more finishing touch: an herb-infused olive oil drizzle scented with thyme, garlic, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Stir these ingredients together, and drizzle the oil over the top of the vegetables. Then, simply slip the pan into the preheated oven. After 45 minutes, the dish will emerge richly scented and ready to conquer the hearts of even the iciest food critics — guaranteed!