Ratatouille is a simple dish made up of layers of tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines. With a touch of tomato sauce and a drizzle of oil, this dish is as delicious as it is beautiful!
Serve these roasted vegetables as a side dish or as a meatless main course with crusty bread.
Ratatouille (rat-a-too-ee) comes from Nice, France, and is a simple vegetarian dish and the name of a mouse in a Disney movie! It can be prepared in two ways: by chopping the vegetables to create a stew or by arranging the vegetable slices in layers. This particular recipe layers the vegetables for a beautiful presentation.
- Taste: This dish has a fresh flavor with a little earthiness from the eggplantT.
- Tools: While not necessary, a mandolin produces nice, even slices and saves prep time. I have This mandolin and use it frequently (it’s also great for jacket potatoes).
- Serving Tips: I love this dish with fresh crusty bread or garlic bread. You can also serve it over pasta or quinoa.
Advice on ingredients for Ratatouille
This recipe is a great way to enjoy fresh garden vegetables and a hearty vegetarian appetizer!
- Zuchinis: Choose medium zucchini or summer squash or yellow squash. It is not necessary to peel it.
- Eggplant: I try to choose smaller aubergines because they tend to be less bitter, and their size is closer to that of courgettes and tomatoes.
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are best in this recipe because they hold up well, have fewer seeds and are a good size. You can use any fresh tomato.
- Sauce – Chopped tomatoes, peppers, spices, garlic and onion come together to create the simple sauce for this ratatouille recipe. Diced bell pepper or grated carrot adds a little sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes – you can replace it with ¼ or ½ teaspoon of sugar if necessary.
Variations
- Are you short on time? Replace the homemade sauce with marinara.
- Garnish with a little parmesan if desired.
How to prepare Ratatouille
- Simmer the sauce ingredients in a pan until thickened (full recipe below).
- Thinly slice the vegetables (I use the mandolin) and stack them. Arrange vegetables stacked on one side over sauce. Brush with olive oil.
- Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and golden.
Top with chopped basil and serve immediately. A slice of homemade garlic bread or fresh French bread is perfect for soaking up this delicious sauce!
Do you have any leftovers?
Store leftover Ratatouille in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Did you prepare this delicious Ratatouille? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
Ratatouille (layered)
Layered ratatouille is a beautifully arranged dish with thinly sliced eggplant, courgette and tomatoes, cooked to perfection with aromatic herbs.
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- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large skillet, cook onion, garlic, and carrot (or bell pepper) in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and seasonings and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, slice vegetables ⅛ inch thick.
- Add the sauce to the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Starting from the outer edge, arrange the sliced vegetables standing on top of the sauce. Brush with the remaining olive oil.
- Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve hot or warm.
The herbs can be replaced with 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning.
*Diced bell pepper or grated carrot adds a little sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes – you can replace it with ¼ or ½ teaspoon sugar if needed.
Let the sauce cook until it thickens. The liquid from the vegetables will mix with the sauce and thin it out as it cooks.
For firmer vegetables, reduce cooking time. For softer vegetables, increase the cooking time.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Calories: 152 | Carbohydrates: 13G | Protein: 3G | Fat: 11G | Saturated fat: 2G | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 5G | Sugar: 8G | Vitamin A: 1095UI | Vitamin C: 43mg | Soccer: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Kitchen Italian
Diet Vegetarian© SpendWithPennies.com. The contents and photographs are protected by copyright. Sharing this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting complete recipes onto any social media is strictly prohibited. Please see my photo usage policy here.
