Ratatouille is a Southern French recipe that can be loosely described as a late summer vegetable stew. And in some cases it is: many people tend to just saute onions, add eggplant, courgettes, bell peppers, tomatoes and then let the whole thing simmer until it is cooked and becomes “stewy”. But ratatouille is a little like lasagna: everyone’s got their own recipe and the best one is usually your mother’s.
The first time I tasted it was at the university cafeteria, and it was a frozen or canned version of the stewed method, which wasn’t particularly memorable. Later though, I discovered my mother-in-law’s, which was an entirely different experience. She prepares it like most purists do, cooking each vegetable separately and then putting them together to cook gently. It definitely takes more time but is so worth it. This particular recipe is from my Spring and Summer e-book and my method is to roast each vegetable separately in the oven rather than pan-fry them because it is: 1/ easy 2/ less messy (less dishes to clean) and 3/ very tasty. However, both methods work wonderfully, I guess it depends on your mood, the size of your oven, and the time you want to spend doing it.
It is often served either hot or cold alongside meat, grilled chicken, or fish. However, our favorite way of having it is warmed up, with a poached egg on top and a crusty baguette on the side.
Here are some tips if you want a great traditional ratatouille:
- Choose your vegetables well. The fresher, local, and seasonal they are, the better.
- When it comes to the courgettes, try to find the seedless ones, they are less bitter and cook really nicely. Most people don’t because they are hard to find, so if you’ve got regular ones that is ok too!
- Don’t skip out on roasting the bell peppers – it makes their flavor come out more.
- Take your time and make it with love, ie. clear up your afternoon calendar. If you are rushed, the result just won’t be the same.
- Make loads because you want leftovers: it’s always better the next day. It also freezes really well! I often double the recipe.
If you would like more tips on this or any other of my recipes, you can book a group or private online cooking class with me here.
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 5 medium courgettes
- 6 medium tomatoes (I like Roma or plum tomatoes)
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic,
- Olive oil (between 1/3 – 1/2 cup)
- 1 to 2 cups/250 to 500 ml
tomato sauce/passata/coulis - 3 tsp herbes de Provence
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup pitted black olives (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper. Do the same with a small baking dish.
- Place the red bell peppers on small baking dish and leave at the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, turning them occasionally until mostly charred on the outside. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, remove the skin – this should be easy – as well as the seeds. Chop them coarsely and set them aside.
- Meanwhile, slice your eggplants into thick 4-5 cm rounds. Drizzle 3-4 tbsp olive oil on the baking sheet and arrange eggplants on it. Sprinkle with salt. Roast in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden. This can be done at the same time as the bell peppers are roasting. Flip the rounds and cook for another 10 minutes or until soft
inside and golden on the outside. Place eggplants in a bowl and set them aside. - Cut your courgettes into 2-3 cm rounds. Drizzle 3-4 tbsp olive oil on the baking sheet you used for the eggplant and arrange courgettes on it. Sprinkle with salt and some herbes de Provence. Roast for 20 minutes, flip and roast the other side for another 10 minutes.
- Cut tomatoes in half (either way you like) and scoop out the seeds with a spoon (you may find this easier to do with your hands). Place them on the same baking sheet you used for the courgettes, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large crockpot or pan over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the onion until golden, about 5-7 minutes, add the garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup/250 ml of tomato coulis, 2 tsp of herbes de Provence, the eggplants, courgettes, bell peppers, and tomatoes, carefully combining
all the ingredients. Add the olives and let simmer gently for 10 minutes, adding additional coulis if you want your ratatouille to be saucier. - Remove from heat and serve or let cool, cover and keep it in the fridge for the next day. Can also be frozen.
