Thanks to the availability of ingredients, ratatouille has become one of the most beloved dishes in Provençal cuisine. The essence of this dish lies in sautéing and simmering fresh vegetables cut into pieces.
The recipe for oven-baked ratatouille (a dish made of layered baked vegetable slices) is actually a modern interpretation rather than a classic method of preparation. However, due to the famous animated film “Ratatouille,” many people consider the baked version created by the main character to be the traditional recipe. Besides the differences in preparation methods, there are also variations in the ingredients: among the types of this French dish are ratatouille with mushrooms, ratatouille with carrot-tomato sauce, or ratatouille with potatoes and béchamel sauce. Today, we will prepare the traditional ratatouille – a classic recipe.
Ingredients: tomatoes – 4; red bell peppers – 2; zucchini – 2; onions – 2; eggplant – 1; garlic – 4 cloves; fresh thyme – 4 sprigs; tomato paste – 2 tablespoons (optional); Provençal herbs – optional; olive oil – to taste; salt – to taste.
Preparation
Cut the seeded , tomatoes, onions, , and zucchini (for older fruits, peel and remove the seeds) into large pieces, and chop the garlic.
First, separately sauté the with thyme, , eggplant, peppers, and until golden brown. Then combine all the vegetables in one pot, add 150 ml of water, include the chopped , season with salt (add Provençal herbs and tomato paste if desired), and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
Tip
- To make the ratatouille according to the classic recipe more substantial, we recommend cooking the dish for an additional 10–15 minutes with the lid off.
- When preparing the dish in the traditional way, you can either sauté all the chopped vegetables together on the stove or sauté each ingredient separately before combining them. The latter method helps the vegetables retain their shape better.
- You can also peel the tomatoes before simmering; the skin will come off easily if you make cross-shaped cuts on the tops of the fruits, dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds, and then in ice water for half a minute.
- An alternative recipe is oven-baked ratatouille: arrange sliced vegetables in a baking dish over a sauce made from onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and bake for 30–40 minutes at 180°C. It’s important to carefully plate the finished dish so the vegetables look appealing when served.
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