Ratatouille is a French dish of stewed vegetables, usually including eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and tomato. For this pasta salad riff on the classic, we’re using the grill to cook our veggies. It’s super simple – grill your veggies, cook your pasta, and throw it all together in a bowl with a simple dressing. Enjoy it as a meal with grilled sausage or chicken.
Ingredient highlight
Eggplant! These summer veggies belong to the nightshade family and have a spongy texture and pleasantly bitter taste. Both the skin and the flesh contain potent antioxidants to help the body fight off free radicals and inflammation. The compound found in the flesh of the eggplant is why it turns brown so easily once sliced open.
Eggplants can be tricky to cook all the way through without drying out. Don’t slice them too thin and after they are cooked/browned, let them steam in a covered bowl to get nice and tender.
Servings 6 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 6 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, bowtie, etc…)
- 1 large eggplant, peeled, cut into ½-inch thick rounds (about 1-1.25 lbs)*
- ¼ cup + 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 ¼ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 bell peppers, cut into slabs
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves or parsley
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- *I don’t like the texture of eggplant skin on the grill, so I prefer to peel some of it off (it should look striped, you want some skin on there to hold it together), but you can leave the skin on if you’d like. If you have a young, tender eggplant, the skin will be a lot more pleasant to eat!
- Note: ~ to make this in the oven, preheat it to 450F. Add the eggplant to one parchment-lined baking sheet and zucchini and bell pepper to another. Bake each for 30-40 minutes (eggplant may take longer), flipping the eggplant halfway through, or until cooked through and nicely browned. Follow the instructions in the recipe for the eggplant after baking.
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to the package instructions. Drain then rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking and set aside.
- Heat up your grill on medium heat for at least 15 minutes.
- Add eggplant rounds to a sheet pan. Use the ¼ cup of olive oil to brush onto one side of each round and sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon salt. Flip the eggplant over and repeat with the remaining oil and ½ teaspoon more salt. Arrange them on one side of the grill. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until you have nice grill marks. Flip and cook 5-10 minutes more, or until you have nice grill marks. Transfer the eggplant to a large bowl and cover with a lid or tinfoil for at least 15 minutes (this will help the eggplant get nice and tender).
- Place zucchini and bell pepper on the sheet pan and toss/rub with 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt to coat all over. Transfer cut-side-down to the other side of the grill. Cover and let cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until charred and tender, flipping halfway through.
- Transfer the veggies back to the sheet pan and let cool. If bell pepper skins are super burnt, just peel them off. Cut eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper up into bite-sized pieces and add to the large bowl along with the pasta. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, balsamic, lemon, black pepper, herbs, and cheese. Toss to coat. Taste and add more salt, lemon, or balsamic if you think it needs something.
- Serve topped with nuts and any remaining herbs or cheese you have leftover (if desired).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Peel and cut 1 large eggplant into ½-inch thick rounds
- Cut 2 zucchini in half lengthwise
- Cut 2 bell peppers into slabs
- Cook 6 oz pasta
- Grill the veggies
- Toast ½ cup walnuts.
Substitutions:
- To make gluten free, use gluten free pasta (Jovial Foods is my favorite brand) OR skip the pasta and enjoy it as more of a veggie side dish.
- To make vegan, skip the cheese and add some extra salt (about ¼-½ teaspoon, to taste).
- Use any of your favorite grilled veggies in place of the bell pepper, eggplant, and zucchini.
- Add in some chickpeas or eat with a side of chicken to up the protein.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Enjoy this salad straight out of the fridge or at room temp. Like most salads, it will taste better if it’s closer to room temp (you could pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to take the chill off).
- Top leftovers with a generous squeeze of lemon, walnuts, feta, and herbs!
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