Another Sunday, another Ina Garten recipe! This week we tried her Roasted Ratatouille with Polenta, and overall this was a really yummy dinner. The vegetables were absolutely the standout and something all three of us thoroughly enjoyed.
The ratatouille is loaded with eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes and plenty of herbs, all roasted together until everything is tender and full of flavor. As I often do with Ina’s recipes, I cut both the olive oil and salt by about half, and it was perfect. I’ve learned over the years that I can almost always make those two adjustments to her recipes without sacrificing a bit of flavor.
Roasted Ratatouille with Polenta | Cooking for Jeffrey
Because we have someone in this house currently very focused on his diet, I also served a teriyaki-marinated pork tenderloin alongside it. Because… protein. It actually made for a delicious combination and turned what could easily be a vegetarian supper into something a little heartier for my crew.
Now, about the polenta. I’m going to own this part of the review for exactly what it is. I didn’t make polenta. I made grits. I’m from Georgia. I like grits. I already had grits in the pantry. Ya know?!
I did at least do my research first and learned that I could substitute the grits 1:1, so I otherwise followed Ina’s recipe for the polenta. And this is where the meal went a little sideways for me. The grits were simply too salty and tasted far too much like chicken. Between the stock, added salt and Parmesan cheese, there was just too much going on for my taste. They certainly weren’t terrible, but when the ratatouille was so fresh and flavorful, I wanted something creamy and mild underneath it rather than something competing for attention.
Thankfully, I already have a tried-and-true savory cheese grits recipe that we love, and that’s exactly what I’ll use next time. Because there absolutely will be a next time.
Oh, and since it was Sunday Supper and I was craving chocolate, I did an old fave – Skillet Brownies. YUM!
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