Ratatouille is a vegetable dish from the Provence region of France. This vegan, gluten free casserole brings together the natural sweetness of eggplant with the bright acidity of fresh tomatoes and green peppers, and the savory aroma of onions, garlic, and herbs. It’s an extremely flavorful dish that pairs well with mild accompaniments like simply poached or roasted meats, seafood, eggs, and crusty bread. While it’s not a quick meal to prepare, it can be made ahead of time, reheated, served cold, or even frozen for later.
About This Recipe
Like many people my first exposure to ratatouille was the Disney movie of the same name. Last year I got to taste it while visiting Provence region of France, and I knew that I wanted make it when I got home.
This recipe is loosely based on Julia Child’s with some changes make it easier to make and more nutritious.
Nutrition and Ingredients
This is a very healthy recipe featuring a variety of vegetables. It is:
- Rich in antioxidants, especially from eggplant skin, tomatoes, and peppers;
- Low in calories, yet very filling because of the fiber;
- Has anti-inflammatory properties from garlic, olive oil, and the vegetables;
- Provides heart-healthy fats from the extra virgin olive oil.
Nutritional Facts Per Serving
- Calories: 135 kcal
- Saturated: Fat: 1.1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 5.5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 17 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5.8 g
- Sugars (natural): 7.5 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Potassium: 520 mg
- Calcium: 50 mg
- Magnesium: 40 mg
- Iron: 1.1 mg
- Vitamin C: 30–35 mg
- Vitamin A: 200–250 mcg
- Folate (Vitamin B9): 60 mcg DFE (Dietary Folate Equivalents)
- Vitamin K: 30 mcg
Ingredients
- Eggplant
- Squash – Zucchini or Summer
- Onion
- Bell Pepper
- Fresh tomato
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh or dried parsley or other herb
Instructions
There are quite a few steps involved to make this ratatouille, some can be done in parallel so it goes pretty fast.
- Gather 1 large eggplant, 2 large zucchini, onion, 1 cup green pepper, 1½ cup fresh tomato, and 2 cloves garlic.
- Slice 2 large zucchini and 1 large eggplant into ⅜” wide slices.
- Place the sliced eggplant and zucchini in colanders and sprinkle with salt so they will release some water. Place the colanders on plates or in the sink to drain.
- Preheat oven to oven to 425℉
- Heat dutch oven over medium low heat
- Half and slice 1½ cup onion and 1 cup green pepper, tomatoes into into ⅜” wide slices. Mince garlic.
- Pat dry eggplant and squash with paper towels and toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Optionally line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lay the eggplant and squash on the baking sheets in a single layer.
- Roast with sheet of squash in the upper third of the oven, and the eggplant below for 15 minutes.
Note: You can fry the eggplant and squash if you prefer. I like to roast them because it uses less oil, and makes the process faster. - While the eggplant and squash are roasting. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, onions and peppers to the dutch oven.
Sauté on medium low until they are tender, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. - Add garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
- When the eggplant and squash have roasted for 15 minutes, swap the position of the baking sheets in the oven so the eggplant is on top, and the squash is on the lower rack.
- Continue to roast until the eggplant is slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the eggplant and move the squash to the upper rack and continue to roast until they are slightly browned about 5 more minutes.
- Over low heat, layer the tomato slices on top of onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook cook for about 5 minutes until they the start to render juice. - Baste tomatoes with their juice, raise heat and boil uncovered until most of the juice has evaporated.
Reduce heat to low.
- Remove ⅔ of the tomato mixture from the dutch oven, and redistribute the remaining ⅓.
- Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon parsley.
- Arrange ½ of the eggplant and squash on top of the tomato mixture.
- Then add ½ of the remaining tomato mixture on the eggplant and squash layer. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon parsley.
- Layer the remaining eggplant and squash on top of the tomato mixture.
- Then add another layer of the remaining tomato mixture. Sprinkle with parsley, and drizzle with olive oil.Raise the heat to medium low.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Uncover, tip the dutch oven and baste with the juices.
Correct seasoning.
Raise heat a little if necessary, and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, until most of the juice has evaporated. - Serve hot or cold.
- Store covered in refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze.
Ratatouille
This vegetable casserole brings together the natural sweetness of eggplant with the bright acidity of fresh tomatoes and green peppers, and the savory aroma of onions, garlic, and herbs. It's an extremely flavorful dish that pairs well with mild accompaniments like simply poached or roasted meats, seafood, eggs, or crusty bread. While it’s not a quick meal to prepare, it can be made ahead of time, reheated, served cold, or even frozen for later.
Servings: 4
Calories: 100kcal
Equipment
- 2 baking sheet
- 1 large dutch oven
- 2 large colander
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant about 1 pound
- 2 large zucchini about 1 pound, or summer squash
- 1½ cup onion sliced
- 1 cup green pepper 1 large green, yellow or red pepper
- 1½ cup fresh tomato 2 or 3 roma tomatoes
- 2 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- ¾ teaspoon dried parsley substitute fresh parsley or other herbs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prepare Vegetables
- Gather 1 large eggplant, 2 large zucchini, onion, 1 cup green pepper, 1½ cup fresh tomato, and garlic.
- Slice 2 large zucchini and 1 large eggplant into ⅜" wide slices.
- Place the sliced eggplant and zucchini in colanders and sprinkle with salt so they will release some water.Place the colanders on plates or in the sink to drain.
- Preheat oven to oven to 425℉.
- Heat dutch oven over medium low heat.
- Half and slice 1½ cup onion and 1 cup green pepper into into ⅜" wide slices.
- Slice tomatoes into ⅜" slices, and mince garlic.
Roast Eggplant and Squash
- Pat dry eggplant and squash with paper towels and toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Optionally line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lay the eggplant and squash on the baking sheets in a single layer.
- Roast with sheet of squash in the upper third of the oven, and the eggplant below for 15 minutes.
Saute vegetables
- While the eggplant and squash are roasting.Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the dutch oven.Add the onion and peppers. Sauté on medium low until they are tender, but not browned, about 10 minutes.Reduce heat to low.
- Add garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
Finish Roasting the Eggplant and Squash
- When the eggplant and squash have roasted for 15 minutes, swap the position of the baking sheets in the oven so the eggplant is on top, and the squash is on the lower rack.
- Continue to roast until the eggplant is slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the eggplant and move the squash to the upper rack and continue to roast until they are slightly browned about 5 more minutes.
Cook tomatoes
- Over low heat, layer the tomato slices on top of onions and peppers.Season with salt and pepper.Cover and cook cook for about 5 minutes until they the start to render juice.
- Baste tomatoes with their juice, raise heat and boil uncovered until most of the juice has evaporated.Reduce heat to low.
Assemble everything
- Remove ⅔ of the tomato mixture from the dutch oven, and redistribute the remaining ⅓.
- Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon parsley.
- Arrange ½ of the eggplant and squash on top of the tomato mixture.
- Add ½ of the remaining tomato mixture on the eggplant and squash layer.Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon parsley.
- Arrange the remaining eggplant and squash on top of the tomato mixture.
- Add the remaining tomato mixture on the eggplant and squash layer.Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon parsley.Drizzle with olive oil.
- Raise the heat to medium low.Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Uncover, tip the dutch oven and baste with the juices.Correct seasoning.Raise heat a little if necessary, and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, until most of the juice has evaporated.
Serve and store
- Serve hot or cold.
- Store covered in refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze.
Notes
You can fry the eggplant and squash if you want. I like to roast the vegetables because it’s faster, and uses less oil.
This recipe is based on the Ratatouille recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child which I recommend highly.