Ratatouille is one of my favorite dishes. Simple, delicious, and hearty, this classic French peasant dish has all the wonderful summer vegetables and lots of herbs. I mixed it with a little ricotta and fresh grated parmesan and stuffed it into giant ravioli. Serve these ravioli with an herbed beurre blanc for an inexpensive gourmet dinner at home.

For the ravioli:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour, sifted
• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, beaten

Place the flour in a mound on a smooth work surface and make a well in the center. Add the beaten eggs and yolks. Mix slowly with a fork incorporating the flour little by little. Once the dough comes together, knead for five minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for one hour. After the dough is rested, divide into four equal portions. Roll out each portion to ¼ inch thick with a rolling pin or a pasta roller. Cut into 5” by 10” rectangles.

For the ratatouille filling:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 eggplant, large diced
• 1/2 zucchini, large diced
• 1/2 yellow squash, large diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, small diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, small diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ½ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
  ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese

In a large skillet, sauté the bell pepper and onion in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic followed by the yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften but aren’t completely falling apart. Add the thyme and oregano and sauté for another two minutes before taking off the heat and evacuating to a large mixing bowl. Pick out the thyme stems and add the ricotta, parmigiano-reggiano cheese and basil chiffonade and combine, taste for seasoning and let cool to room temperature.

• For the beurre blanc:
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• ¼ cup fresh thyme
• ½ lb butter
• 1 cup dry white wine

Reduce the white wine by half. In a blender, puree the wine with the herbs and add the butter a little bit at a time until a nape (think soupy but not thick) consistency is formed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place 1/2 cup of the ratatouille filling in each 5”x10” rectangle and seal with a fork on all sides. Repeat until you run out of pasta or ravioli or both. To cook ravioli submerge in boiling salted water for no more than two minutes. When the ravioli float, they are cooked. Serve drizzled with herbed beurre blanc.