How To Make Ratatouille

Ratatouille is an oh so versatile, traditional French dish from Nice and Provence. You can serve Ratatouille as a side dish, as a pasta sauce, over rice or just on its own with some crusty bread on the side. It takes a while to cook, but all the chopping and stirring can be very therapeutic in its own way.

Although I have always loved ratatouille, it took me years to make it for myself. When I finally decided to try, I turned to Nigella Lawson’s first cookbook, ‘How To Eat, The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food’.

How To Eat

Published in 1998, and subsequently as a vintage classic 20th anniversary edition in 2018, How To Eat lacks the glossy finish and photography of Nigella’s later books. However what it lacks in beauty it makes up for in substance.

How To Eat has an excellent ‘Basics’ chapter containing recipes that are just that – from how to roast a chicken and make gravy to making mayonnaise and béchamel sauce, as well as basic cake and pastry. This is followed by several chapters of the delicious recipes like ratatouille and common sense advice that have made Nigella famous. If you haven’t discovered Nigella’s very first cookbook yet, there is something missing from your bookshelf. I’m so evangelical about this book that if I find any of my friends don’t own it, I generally buy a copy for them at the next available opportunity.

Ratatouille

I was drawn to Nigella’s recipe for ratatouille as she does not salt and drain the aubergines (eggplant) or the zucchini (courgettes). I have never found these steps to be necessary. This may be because I have had the good fortune never to meet a bitter aubergine, and also because I have a bit of an aversion to too much salt, having seen many of my family and friends being forced to eliminate it from their diets almost completely.

I also liked that Nigella’s version of this classic dish contains more zucchini than aubergine, a balance which I prefer. I did use yellow peppers as well as red ones, and I also eliminated the cilantro (coriander) Nigella calls for. My family don’t like it and it’s hard enough to get them to eat anything with chunks of tomato in it without putting a herb they don’t like in it as well. Instead I use a Herbs de Provence of or simply a mix of oregano, basil and thyme as well as lots of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt.

If your family are not sure about chunks of tomato, you can also use passata (sieved tomatoes) in this recipe instead of canned tomatoes. It’s not traditional, but it sure tastes good!

How Long Does Ratatouille Keep For?

Nigella says this will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days, but it has never lasted that long in our house! It does keep very well though. I’m not a fan of cold ratatouille but be sure to take it out of the refrigerator well before you use it if you are going to serve it cold. If, like me, you prefer your ratatouille warm, reheat gently over a low heat so that the ratatouille is as delicious as when you first made it.

You can also freeze ratatouille. It is lovely to have it stashed away in the freezer for quick and easy meals. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating gently over low heat.

Is Ratatouille Vegan?

Yes, Ratatouille is a vegan recipe.

Is Ratatouille Gluten Free?

Ratatouille is naturally gluten free.

What Casserole Is Best?

I use my 30 cm (3.2 Litre) Le Creuset Enamelled Cast Iron Shallow Casserole Dish with a Lid. I am a huge fan of Le Creuset and have used them for years. In fact, I have a deeper Le Creuset Round Cast Iron Casserole that my mother-in-law gave me thirty years ago that is still in regular use. I appreciate Le Creuset casseroles are expensive, but if your budget allows, they are well worth saving up for. With proper care, they can last many years.

How Can I Serve Ratatouille?

Ratatouille is a wonderful side dish with just about any main course or a stand-alone vegan main course served with crusty bread. You can serve it over cooked bulgar wheat, rice or quinoa. It also mades a delicious sauce for spaghetti or pasta shapes. You can also use it instead of roast vegetables and tomato sauce in my Vegetarian Lasagna Pasta Bake. However you serve ratatouille, this versatile dish is a delicious addition to your menus and meal plans.

Printable Ratatouille Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Ratatouille

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

• 2 medium onions, peeled, halved and sliced in half moons
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 aubergine, eggplant, halved and sliced in half moons aubergine is also known as eggplant
• 5 small to medium courgettes, cut in half inch rounds courgette is also known as zucchini
• 2 large red peppers, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 large yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced
• 14 ounce can drained tinned plum tomatoes or you can use 3 cups (700 ml) of passata instead
• 6 to 10 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence If you cannot get Herbes de Provence you can use ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon basil and ¼ teaspoon thyme
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• fresh or dried basil or parsley to garnish

Instructions

• Heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a thick bottomed wide pan with a lid (I use a round Le Creuset pan) over medium heat.
• Add the onions and sauté them until they are soft. Sprinkle with a little salt to prevent browning.
• Add the eggplant and cook for a minute or so.
• Add the zucchini, followed by the peppers.
• Grate in the garlic.
• If the vegetables absorb all the oil and you feel you need more, feel free to add it as you go along.
• Cover the pan, turn the heat back and cook gently over very low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomatoes and herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stir through, cover and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not mushy.
• Garnish with basil or parsley.

Notes

Adapted from How to Eat by Nigella Lawson

Equipment

• 1 large stove top to oven casserole with a lid This is the one that I use.

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