Recipe: Marinara Poached Fish with Ratatouille

For today's show I took a tour of the Tampa Bay home of Yo Mama's Foods. It's run by David Habib, who makes sauces inspired by his Mom's cooking and sells them all over the world! After the visit, I was inspired to create a recipe with some of the sauces which takes them beyond the predictable plate of pasta and uses them as the secret to a saucy shortcut for a Mediterranean masterpiece. It's the perfect pairing of dishes for a quick and flavorful weeknight treat.

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Marinara Poached Fish with Ratatouille

Ratatouille Ingredients

• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 small eggplant, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence (or Italian seasoning)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh basil, for garnish

Marinara Poached Fish Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• ½ cup green or black olives, sliced
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
• 4 fillets of white fish (e.g. cod, halibut, or tilapia)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
• lemon wedges, for serving

Ratatouille Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Spread marinara sauce evenly in bottom of large baking dish.
3. Layer sliced zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, red bell pepper, and onion in overlapping circular pattern (like a spiral).
4. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with herbes de Provence, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized.

Marinara Poached Fish Directions

1. While ratatouille bakes, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
2. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, 3–4 minutes.
3. Stir in marinara sauce, olives, capers, and chili flakes (if using). Bring to gentle simmer.
4. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper. Nestle them into sauce, ensuring they are mostly submerged.
5. Cover and cook for 6–8 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with fork.
6. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Assemble Dish

1. On each plate, spoon generous portion of ratatouille to form base.
2. Gently place poached fish fillet on top of ratatouille.
3. Spoon marinara sauce from skillet over fish and vegetables.
4. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve with wedge of lemon.

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