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Easy Ratatouille recipe, just like in the movie! This summery French classic vegetable stew is quick, easy and makes the most of seasonal veggies.
This easy ratatouille recipe allcomes together in less than 1 hour, and it’s one of the easiest one-pot meals around, made with super simple ingredients and requires very little cooking skills.
Plus, as an added bonus, it’s naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan, making a fantastic allergy-friendly option.
Where does it come from?
The name of the recipe comes from the French ratouiller and tatouiller, expressive forms of the verb touiller, which means "to stir up".
The origin of the ratatouille dish is in the area around Provence and Nice and compared to many other classics, it is a relatively new one.
It appeared for the first time in France back in the 18thcentury. Its name first appeared in English in 1877.
This traditional French dish is close to the bohémienne, also Provencal recipe, both of peasant origin.
The Sicilian caponata is also close, but slightly more on the tart side, thanks to the addition of capers and vinegar.
Ingredients
When it comes to ratatouille ingredients, I'm sticking to the classic recipe, which calls for simple vegetables such as:
- courgette (squash zucchini or yellow zucchini)
- red or yellow peppers
- aubergine
- tomatoes
- onion
- garlic
Try to get the absolute best quality vegetables you can. It will definitely make this dish from good to AMAZING.
When you go shopping for the vegetables, look for courgette and aubergine that have a similar diameter, so that when you will slice them, they will stack together evenly.
Great fresh vegetables have a fantastic flavour on their own, but also make sure to choose super high-quality tinned tomatoes for the sauce.
I pick the Italian San Marzano variety whenever I find it, but any great organic plum tomato variety will do.
For the herbs, if you have herbs de Provence at hand, totally go for it.
Otherwise, you'll be just as happy with some freshly dried oregano (I used my mom's Sicilian oregano!) and fresh thyme sprigs.
Recipe instructions and tips
The recipe is super easy to make and you'll only need a big pot (make sure it's oven-friendly) and a blender.
Before starting prepping the sauce, get all the veggies ready. Slice them all evenly, and set them aside.
Step 1. Prepare the sauce
- Heat some olive oil in a pan, add in garlic and onion, followed by the tomatoes and bell peppers, sugar, balsamic vinegar, thyme and oregano.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Now, transfer the sauce into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth (or leave it a bit chunky if you like the texture).
- Pour the sauce over the bottom of a large shallow cast-iron pan, or baking pan.
Step 2. Top with the veggies and bake
- Arrange one slice of each thinly-sliced vegetable on the pan and continue until the pan is full.
- To make things easier, stack the veggie slices in your hand then layer them into the pan. Season with salt and pepper, oregano and a nice swirl of olive oil.
- Now that you have layered up all the veggies, it's time to transfer the pot in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes.
- Check after 20 minutes if the veggies are cooked through and the sauce is nicely bubbling on the sides.
- Remove the pot from the oven, allow to cool slightly and serve.
Cooking tip: To make things quicker, you can simply cube all the veggies.
For a pretty presentation, I like to slice them up separately and line them up in order.
It takes a few more minutes but will make this dish look like you spent the whole day on it!
Use a baking dish, dutch oven or cast-iron pot
For minimum washing up, I like to use a cast iron pan when prepping up this dish.
You cook the sauce in the pot, then fold in the veggies and transfer the pot in the oven to finish off cooking.
However, you can definitely opt for a classic baking dish or dutch oven.
What to serve it with
This side dish pairs well with many different dishes, but can also easily be served on its own, with some grilled crusty bread.
It is one of those easy one-pan weeknight dinners. It’s super healthy, quick and fulfilling, and all you need to make it a meal is to serve it with your favourite protein.
Some of my favourite dishes to serve it with include:
- Grilled meat, fish, poultry
- Italian chicken cutlets
- Classic French omelette ( or Japanese omelette, to make things more interesting)
- 20-Minute Baked Fish Croquettes
- Italian potato frittata
- Vegan quinoa summer salad
Can I freeze it?
Absolutely yes!
I usually make a big batch, store leftovers into individual freezer-friendly containers, and freeze for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe
Easy Ratatouille recipe, just like in the movie! This summery French classic vegetable stew is quick, easy and makes the most of seasonal veggies.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time55 minutes mins
Course: Side
Cuisine: French
Serving: 8
Calories: 143kcal
Author: Andrea Soranidis
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ large red or white onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 can organic tinned tomatoes, drained, (400 gr)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly teared thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon freshly dried oregano
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 large courgettes, finely sliced
- 3 small long aubergines, finely sliced
- 2 salad tomatoes, finely sliced
- 2 small red onions, sliced into rings
- 2 thyme sprigs
- a pinch of freshy dried oregano
- a glug of extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C / 375°F.
Heat the olive oil in a shallow cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, then add the tomatoes and bell pepper.
Stir-fry all the vegetables for 5 minutes, then add in the sugar, balsamic vinegar, thyme and oregano. Mix all the ingredients together and gently crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the sauce into a food processor and blend until creamy but still a bit chunky. Add a splash of boiling water if necessary.
Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of your shallow cast-iron pan.
Arrange one slice of each vegetable (courgette, aubergine, tomato, onion) on the pan and continue until the pan is full. To make things easier, stack the veggie slices in your hand then layer them into the pan.
Season with a pinch of oregano, sea salt and black pepper on top, and finish off with a swirl of olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes in the oven, checking after 20 minutes if the veggies are tender and the sauce is gently bubbling on the sides.
Remove the pan from the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
Leftovers storage tips:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!
Nutrition
Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 826mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 994IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was firs published in August 2017 and updated with more info.
