Ratatouille has become a favorite at home, surprisingly much liked by my meat-loving, nearly adult son! The flavors of this Provencal vegetable stew are outstanding; it tastes like summer, fresh and vibrant. That’s one reason he loves it!

Ratatouille

Here’s the other reason: the vegetables are tender; each bite melting in your mouth; cooked to the point where they retain just a hint of their former selves while melding together into something glorious!

About this Ratatouille:

That’s my long way of saying “I got my kid to eat eggplant and he didn’t even know it.” This Ratatouille is everything! It’s a balance of contrast and harmony, and the point where they meet is magical.

The eggplant, squashes, bell peppers, and tomatoes each contribute their distinct flavors and qualities to the whole. The tomatoes bring a bright acidity, cutting through the rich olive oil and the creaminess of the softer vegetables. The caramelized onions and bell peppers draw you back with a touch of sweetness.

The herbs and spices add brightness, serving as a punctuation mark that causes you to pause and consider each bite as it rolls across your taste buds. And you know there’s garlic, not a biting taste, but the deep smokiness that comes from long cooking.

The result is nuanced with never-ending layers of flavors and textures to make you want to sit up and take notice while your brain tries to make sense of what your taste buds are telling you!

Eggplant, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Peppers & Onions

Serving:

Serve at room temperature or cold, and bring to the table as a main or side dish – or get more creative! On a hot summer day, keep it simple. Serve with crusty bread or a salad. For something more substantial, serve over pasta (my son’s idea) or polenta.

Serve as a side with any roasted or grilled proteins, or as an app, spread on crostini or baked into small tartlets. Heat in a skillet and drop eggs on top for breakfast.

Eggplant, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Peppers & Onions

Making Ratatouille:

There’s a lot of chopping, but most of the vegetables are soft and cut into a one-inch dice, so it’s easy and quick. The exceptions are the onion, which is roughly sliced pole to pole, and the bell pepper, which is diced more finely.

Many strategies of cooking and the sheer amount of oil in the original recipe (adapted from Tyler Florence) just about killed me!  Wherever I could, I took little shortcuts, combining the vegetables, and in some cases using steam (from a little water) to speed the cooking along.

I love tasty, healthy olive oil, used in Ratatouille, not just for cooking but for flavoring; there’s a generous amount at the beginning of cooking and a little at the end to finish and make the dish glisten.

Get a little browning on the Eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash

The Leftovers:

• Store in the fridge, but allow to cool before completely covering. This dish is best served at room temperature or cold.
• Freezing does make it even softer and causes the dish to weep. The flavor’s fine, but it’s not at its prime. I do not recommend.

Ratatouille – Provencal vegetable stew

Saving Money on Ratatouille:

Here are a few general ways to save on the vegetables & herbs in Ratatouille. As with most fruits and vegetables, wash before using rather than before storing.

• Beyond growing your own, most of these are late summer vegetables. Buy in season.
• Although this recipe screams “farmer’s market,” you’ll likely find the best buys at discount stores like Aldi or Lidl with comparable sale prices at the regular grocery.
• If shopping at the regular grocery store, plan to make when the pricier vegetables in this recipe are on sale.
• Use more of the cheaper vegetables and fewer of the priciest.
• Raid your fridge and use (or at least supplement the recipe) with the vegetables you have on hand; this is especially true if you’re in the habit of picking up and using sale-priced vegetables every week.
• Grow your own herbs, in pots if need be. Basil, parsley & thyme are three of the easiest to grow.

Eggplant:

• Seldom on sale, pick small to medium ones (less bitter, fewer seeds), and avoid the pricier “babies.” The skin should be smooth and shiny with no wrinkles or brown spots. A ripe eggplant, when gently pressed, should have just a little give. A soft one is past its prime. The stem should be bright green with no signs of mold or soft rot lurking beneath.
• Store in the fridge for up to a week, loosely wrapped in plastic in the high humidity of the vegetable bin.

Summer Squash (Zucchini & Yellow Squash):

• Squashes do go on sale, but are relatively inexpensive. Look for squash that is smaller, bright, and shiny with tender skin. Larger squash can be tough with inedible, bitter seeds.
• Store in the high humidity of the refrigerator’s vegetable bin, rolled in a paper towel (ends open), then placed in a loose plastic bag. They should last from a few days up to two weeks.

Bell Peppers:

• Often on sale through the summer. Buy shiny, firm, unblemished, and wrinkle-free.  Discount groceries run about the same price as grocery store sales. Green are always less expensive than other colors.
• Compare pricing in two or three packs to singles. If a save is needed, roast the colored ones and freeze; the green be diced and frozen.
• Kept dry and unwashed in the crisper drawer (drawer set to open for increased circulation) in a breathable bag with some ventilation. If they come in a cellophane bag with multiple peppers, open carefully and reuse those bags.

Tomatoes:

• Tomatoes are best (and cheapest) homegrown, especially if you enjoy anything beyond grocery store options. Even a pot of smaller varieties can be a savings.
• At farmers’ markets, you might find discounts on imperfect tomatoes.
• Discount stores have great pricing but limited options; buyer’s clubs offer a greater variety and more bang for the buck.
• At the grocery, watch for sales; take advantage by picking tomatoes at varying degrees of ripeness. Some ready now, and some to set on the windowsill for later.
• Once fully ripened, tomatoes should be placed in the refrigerator to buy a few days rather than left to rot on the counter.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Print Recipe

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• Author: loosely adapted from Tyler Florence
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish Meatless
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

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• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• Salt to taste
• 1 eggplant, about a pound, cut into 1” dice
• 1 or 2 small zucchini, about a pound, cut into 1” dice
• 1 or 2 small summer squash, about a pound, cut into 1” dice
• 1 large onion, cut pole to pole, about 3/4” at widest point
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced into 1/2” squares
• 1 to 3 tomatoes, roughly diced, 1″ pieces
• 2 to 3 anchovies, crushed or 2 teaspoons fish sauce, optional
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• fresh basil, chopped, to taste – anywhere from a few leaves to a small palmful
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed, stems discarded
• pinch or two of red pepper flakes
• 1 or two tablespoons vinegar – balsamic or red
• fresh parsley, chopped, optional for garnish
• Additional basil leaves, optional for garnish

Note:

• if the vegetable sizes aren’t available, just use the approximate weight as a guide.
• for a meatless meal, sub in a teaspoon of nutritional yeast for the anchovies or fish sauce

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Instructions

In a large skillet, add 1/3 cup of the olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash. Season well with salt (suggest 1 1/2 teaspoons) and cook until soft and wilted and browning just a little, about 15 minutes. Scoop out to a plate, leaving the oil behind. If there isn’t a tablespoon or two of oil in the pan, add a little more.

Add the onion and 1/2 cup of water to the skillet. Add lid to skillet and cook until water is evaporated and onion is soft and beginning to pick up color, about 7 or 8 minutes. Check several times and add a little more water if the onion hasn’t softened and started to color by the time the initial amount of water is evaporated.

Once the onion has begun to brown, continue to cook (lid off) for several minutes until mostly caramelized, then add in the bell pepper, tomatoes, anchovies or fish sauce. Continue to cook until the bell peppers have started softening, another 8 to 10 minutes or so.

Scrape the vegetables away from the center of the pan and add the garlic; once the garlic is fragrant, stir into the vegetables. Scrape the vegetables away from the center of the pan again and add the tomato paste. Cook for about a minute, allowing the paste to darken, stirring it as necessary. Stir the tomato paste into the vegetables.

Add in the basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes and stir everything together. Return the eggplant, zucchini, and squash to the pan and mix in. Taste for salt and add a little if the dish seems lacking.

Turn heat to medium-low, add another half cup of water, and gently cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, partially covered, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the vegetables are very soft and juicy but still retain some of their shape and texture. As they’re close to done, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.

When finished, splash with a tablespoon or two of vinegar and cool to room temperature. Garnish as desired with parsley and/or a few sprigs of basil.

 

Ratatouille made June 2012, updated in 2024