Ratatouille
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Ratatouille is a celebration of fresh summer vegetables, the magic that happens when you combine simple but quality ingredients together. The result is an interplay of delicious flavors that get even better with time, making for a superb make-ahead dish or sublime leftovers. This traditional Ratatouille recipe represents the best of French Provencal cooking. It’s prepared in all its rustic glory, oozing flavorful juices ideal for mopping up with a chunk of good crusty bread. Packed with nutrition, it’s naturally low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan, it’s a dish virtually everyone can enjoy!
We have traveled fairly extensively throughout France but there is a special kind of magic in Provence. If you can steal away from the heavier touristed areas to enjoy the countryside and the quaint villages, it’s those moments I’ve cherished most. Like the time we gathered up some fresh baguettes from the bakery and duck confit and pork rillettes from the butcher and made our way to an old medieval abbey surrounded by vineyards and climbed up the steps to enjoy a scenic overlook while savoring a rustic picnic.
We’ve spent many such moments throughout France and there is a power in the ability of traditional foods to connect your mind and soul to the region. When I’m back home in my kitchen, surrounded by the antique French copper pans, molds, and dried lavender that I picked up in Provence, I like to imagine I’m there. And when I take that first bite of ratatouille I really am there.
What is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal dish that originated in the city of Nice on the southern coast, thus also known as Ratatouille Niçoise, and is a dish of stewed vegetables consisting of summer squash, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs. Its name comes from the French words rata which refers to a chunky stew and touiller which means to stir up. It’s an old “peasant stew” created by poor farmers in the 18th century as a means of using up leftover vegetables and curbing hunger. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the dish made its way onto restaurant menus, first in France and now throughout the world, making it yet another example, along with dishes like Beef Bourguignon, Coq Au Vin and Bouillabaisse, of what were originally culinary innovations of the poor that transitioned into pillars of fine dining. Fast forward to today, Ratatouille remains a signature dish of Nice.
“Disney Style” Ratatouille
Traditional ratatouille is a very rustic dish made with rough-cut vegetables that are sautéed on the stovetop and served as a stew. In reality it’s not the most “pretty” dish from an aesthetic point of view. The spiral presentation popularized by Disney’s animated film “Ratatouille”, has created a lot of confusion, at least in the U.S., as to what ratatouille is. What is presented in the Disney film is a contemporary variation created in the 1970’s by French chef Michel Guérard as part of the nouvelle cuisine movement that sought to overhaul traditional dishes by lightening them up and creating delicate presentations. His modern twist on ratatouille, known as confit bayaldi, omits the peppers and above all emphasizes presentation. It’s made by thinly slicing the vegetables into rounds, standing them on end accordion-style in a spiral fashion, and then baking it like a casserole.
But in France if you order ratatouille you’ll most often be served the traditional dish of rough-cut stewed vegetables. Rarely will you see it served in spiral “Disney fashion.” When in France, if you’re searching for the spiral variation you can try looking for Confit Bayaldi, Ratatouille en Tian or Tian de légumes d’été.
Ratatouille Ingredients
Ratatouille uses few ingredients, most of which are pantry staples and easy to find. Here is what you’ll need to make this traditional ratatouille recipe:
- Eggplant – I grow a wide variety of heirloom eggplants and you can use any variety you can find. The most common grocery store options are the Italian globe or the long slender Asian varieties.
- Sweet peppers – your choice of yellow, orange or red. Green bell peppers have a much zestier flavor profile and lack the sweetness that is needed for this dish.
- Zucchini and yellow Squash – you can use either or a combination of the two.
- Onion and garlic – these will be cooked with the tomatoes to form the base of the ratatouille.
- Tomatoes – whether using fresh or canned, choose the highest quality you can find.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – we use this for cooking the veggies.
- Fresh Basil – you can also use a combination of fresh basil, thyme, rosemary and/or oregano.
- A pinch of sugar – to balance the acidity and for a touch of sweetness.
- Red pepper flakes – for balance and a touch of heat.
- And salt and pepper – to enhance the overall flavor.
As you can see, ratatouille is all about the fresh vegetables. As an avid gardener, dishes like ratatouille are right up my alley because it incorporates such a beautiful spectrum of summer vegetables, all of which I grow every year in abundance, multiple heirloom varieties of each. Here is a sampling from my garden, ready for turning into some delicious ratatouille!
Can It Be Made In Advance?
Yes! In fact the flavor is even better the next day, so it’s a terrific make-ahead dish and likewise makes great leftovers. Just reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, whichever your prefer, and serve. Ratatouille can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Just let it thaw and then reheat.
What to Serve with Ratatouille
Ratatouille is most commonly served as a first course or appetizer, often with some crusty bread for mopping up the juices. But it also makes an excellent lunch, light dinner, or can be served as a vegetable side dish alongside your proteins like roast chicken, pork chops, roast pork or beef, venison, or lamb.
Cooking Tips
- Eggplants are 95% water and they release all of that as they cook, so commonly eggplants are first salted and left to sit to release the water. If you were opting to saute the eggplant like the other veggies you would need to take that step. However that step can be skipped if you’re roasting the eggplant, which will likewise draw the water out of them. I like to roast the eggplant and I explain more reasons below.
- If you prefer a less mushy consistency you can roast the eggplant in the oven before adding it to the other sauteed veggies. This not only prevents the eggplant from becoming overly mushy, it also enhances the flavor giving it a nice nutty element.
- Fresh garlic is a must, don’t use the pre-minced bottled stuff, there is no comparison in flavor. Ratatouille is a simple dish of simple ingredients so you want to use the best. Likewise, use the best tomatoes you can find. I grow my own tomatoes for that sun-ripened flavor, but you can also use high quality canned tomatoes, like Italian San Marzano’s. When using canned I like to use whole plum tomatoes and crush them by hand for a nice chunky consistency. If using fresh tomatoes it’s always ideal to blanch and remove the skins first because it makes for a silkier texture. The skins detach themselves during cooking and then you have a bunch of curled up skins floating around in the mix. This is a matter of personal taste and aesthetics and you can skip that step if you’d prefer.
- Use fresh herbs. For dishes that require long and slow cooking times, dried herbs work best because it takes time to coax the oils and flavors out of them. For dishes like Ratatouille that cook relatively quickly, the cooking time isn’t sufficient to bring out the flavors of the dried herbs, so fresh is a must. However there is an alternative and that is to use dried herbs and slow-simmer the tomato base for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, before adding in the sauteed veggies.
How to Make Ratatouille
In just a few simple steps you’ll have a delicious serving of traditional ratatouille ready and waiting:
- Toss the eggplant with olive oil and salt and roast on a baking sheet in the oven until tender and nicely browned.
- Sauté the peppers in olive oil and set aside. Sauté the zucchini and squash in olive oil and set aside.
- Cook the garlic and onions until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, seasonings, and herbs and bring it to a simmer.
- Return all of the cooked veggies to the pan and simmer everything for about 10-15 minutes until your ratatouille is thickened.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Your ratatouille is ready to serve! I enjoy it best served with some crusty bread – it’s perfect for mopping up those flavorful juices.
For more favorite dishes from Provence try my:
Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large eggplant , cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 yellow, orange or red bell peppers (or combination) , cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini/courgette , cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow squash , cut into 1/2 inch pieces (can use an additional zucchini instead)
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes , blanched, skins removed, and crushed by hand to make a chunky sauce
- OR 28 ounce can quality plum tomatoes , crushed to make a chunky sauce
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil , or any combination of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt , plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F / 230 C. Place the diced eggplant in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and toss to coat the pieces. Spread the eggplant out in a single layer on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping after about 15 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and nicely browned. Set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan or Dutch oven and cook the peppers until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and cook the zucchini and yellow squash until tender, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the peppers.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive in the pan and cook the garlic for a minute or two until very fragrant. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes and herbs. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the sautéed peppers, zucchini, squash, and eggplant to the pan and stir to combine. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the ratatouille is nice and thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some good crusty bread. Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as an appetizer or side.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
