Ratatouille is a flavorful way to bring together fresh garden vegetables. Onions, eggplant, summer squash, zucchini and tomato make this a versatile dish – and it gets more delicious the longer it sits in your fridge.
Ratatouille can be served hot, cold or at room temp. It’s great with a protein or can be served its own topped with a bit of grated hard cheese like Pecorino, Parmesan, Manchego or Gruyere.
While at the French Culinary Institute, I learned the key to creating well-structured, textured layers of flavor is to individually season and cook each ingredient, waiting to combine them until you are ready to finish the Ratatouille. Often people make the mistake of cooking all the ingredients together, resulting in a soft mushy blob of indiscernible vegetables.
By demonstrating patience and restraint, you can enjoy the bounty of flavors and colors this dish heeds. We use traditional ingredients, but you can use other vegetables or turn this ratatouille into a Sicilian Caponata by adding capers, raisins and pine nuts.
Ratatouille niçoise
Ingredients
- 1 red onion cut into ½” dice
- 4 ribs of celery cut into ½” dice
- 5 cloves of garlic chopped finely
- ¾-1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp. chopped rosemary needles
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley (watch our video on how to chop parsley)
- ¼ cup torn basil leaves
- 1 red pepper cored, stemmed and cut into ½” dice
- 1 yellow pepper cored, stemmed and cut into ½” dice
- 2 medium-sized Italian eggplants. Cut with skin on into ½” dice. (Optional to remove skin.)
- 2 zucchinis cut into ¾” dice
- 2 summer squash cut into ¾” dice
- 3 vine-ripe tomatoes cut into ½”dice (subtitute with 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional) (optional)
- 1 ½ Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. cracked black peppercorn
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil at medium high heat and sauté diced celery for about two minutes (celery should still have some crispness to it). Add salt and pepper to your taste. Cool by spreading out on a sheet pan.
- Follow the same process to cook the red and yellow peppers, combined. Sauté in 1 Tbsp. olive oil for about 2 minutes, or until peppers are softer but still crisp. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Cool by spreading out on sheet pan (you can add to same pan as celery).
- Follow the same process to cook the summer squash and zucchini, combined. Sauté in 2 Tbsp. olive oil for about 2 minutes,or until softer yet crisp. You can mix these veggies because they cook at the same rate. Cool on sheet pan with other vegetables.
- Follow the same process to cook the eggplant, but you will need to sauté for 2-3 minutes in about ½ cup olive oil as eggplant naturally soaks up more oil. Cook until golden brown, making sure eggplant holds its shape and does not become mushy. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Cool on sheet tray with other vegetables.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil on medium heat in a larger pan with sides, like a five-quart Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic, and sauté about 4 minutes, or until ingredients are soft and aromatic.
- Add tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes (optional for a bit of spice) and cook for 1 minute. Add all other previously cooked vegetables to pan along with thyme, rosemary, basil and parsley.
- Add red wine vinegar and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix and fold all ingredients as you are heating them in the pan. Check for seasoning and incorporate additional salt, pepper or herbs to your taste. After 3-4 minutes, serve warm. Optional to top with grated parmesan cheese or your favorite protein.
