Ratatouille, sometimes referred to as Ratatouille Niçoise, is a French dish from the Nice region made with stewed vegetables. Our
Gluten-Free and Vegetarian French Ratatouille recipe calls for zucchini, eggplant, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, basil, honey, salt, and pepper.
Ways to Make Ratatouille
Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include tomato, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, and some combination of leafy green herbs.
There are two basic cooking methods, one by cooking on the stove and the other by baking in the oven. In this recipe, we will be cooking our Ratatouille on the stovetop in a Dutch Oven.
There are two basic preparation methods also, on by thinly slicing the vegetables and stacking them on their side in a baking dish. The other method is by cubing the vegetables and cooking them on the stove or baking them in the oven.
How to Store Ratatouille
Ratatouille will taste better after sitting for a few hours in the refrigerator, however some like it hot off the stove. You can store Ratatouille in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat Ratatouille, bring it to room temperature first, then gently reheat it before serving.
History of Ratatouille
According to historians, Ratatouille originated in the 18th Century in the Provencal region of Nice. The dish is known as Peasants Stew was created by poor farmers with vegetables from their gardens.
The City of Nice, France
Nice is the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera and sits on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges. The city was founded by the Greeks and later became a retreat for the 19th-century European elite. The city has also long attracted artists like a former resident, Henri Matisse, who is honored with a career-spanning collection of paintings at Matisse Museum (Musée Matisse).
History of Nice
The first known hominid settlements in the Nice area date back about 400,000 years (homo erectus); the Terra Amata archaeological site shows one of the earliest uses of fire, construction of houses, as well as flint findings dated to around 230,000 years ago. A small fishing village was founded by the Greeks around 350 BC and named Nice.
Tourism in Nice
Nice also has numerous museums of all kinds: Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse (arenas of Cimiez containing Roman ruins), Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée international d’Art naïf Anatole Jakovsky, Musée Terra-Amata, Museum of Asian Art, Musée d’art moderne et d’art contemporain (which devotes much space to the well-known École of Nice “), Museum of Natural History, Musée Masséna, Naval Museum, and Galerie des Ponchettes.
Being a vacation resort, Nice hosts many festivals throughout the year, such as the Nice Carnival and the Nice Jazz Festival.
Nice Cuisine
Few cities have so many culinary specialties as the city of Nice. The Cuisine of Nice reflects its geographic location on the Mediterranean sea and is influenced by its historical ties with Italy. It relies on fresh vegetables like eggplant and zucchini, seafood, swiss chard, olive oil, and a long history of culinary traditions.
– Featured Restaurant –
Citrus
7 Rue Sainte-Reparate, 06300 Nice, France
Phone: +33 4 93 16 27 93
OPENING HOURS: Open on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7 PM to 10 PM. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Located between the Cours Saleya and Place Rossetti, two famous squares in Old Nice, the “CITRUS” is a charming little restaurant which, in an industrial and cozy style, serves you cuisine coming back from the market, this one is concocted for you in sandstone seasons, ideas and the favorites of its chef Philippe LIMOGES.
How to Make Ratatouille
Although it takes an hour and a half to cook this delicious recipe, it is easy to make and will delight your taste buds. This Ratatouille recipe calls for a lot of ingredients. It is based on one eggplant, as they are large it takes a lot of other vegetables to balance the meal.
We used a dutch oven to cook this recipe, you will need a large pot to cook this meal. It’s easy to make and tastes great.
Ingredients Needed for Ratatouille
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini, diced
- 1 large eggplant, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 6 medium tomatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, left whole and unskinned
- 2 sprigs of thyme, stemmed
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 basil leaves finely, chopped
Cooking Directions for Ratatouille
Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Ratatouille Cooking Directions
- Prepare the Vegetables
Wash the zucchini and eggplant, cut off the ends, and dice into ½-inch cubes. Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half, remove the core, seeds, and white flesh, and cut them into ½-inch squares. Wash the tomatoes, cut them into quarters, discard the seeds, and cut them into ½-inch cubes.
- Sauté the Onion
In a large frying pan or heavy bottom pot, heat up the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until glistening and fragrant.
- Sauté the Bell Peppers and Eggplant
Add the diced bell peppers and eggplant and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
- Add Remaining Vegetables
Add the tomatoes, zucchini, garlic (in their skins), thyme, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Stir gently to mix. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for one hour. Occasionally, take the lid off and carefully wipe away the built-up condensation on the inner lid, and place the lid back on. This will help prevent having a watery ratatouille.
- Cook for 1 Hour
After one hour, check the consistency of the ratatouille. If the vegetables rendered too much water, let it simmer for 10 to 20 more minutes extra with the lid off.
- Add the Honey
When the consistency is right, add the honey and stir to combine.
- Garnish and Serve
Garnish with black pepper and fresh basil leaves and serve warm.
The most difficult part of this recipe is managing the amount of liquid in your pot. If you have it covered too long it will have a large amount of liquid as the vegetables release their juices. When the dish is cooked uncovered for too long all, of your liquid will evaporate and your Ratatouille might burn.
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French Ratatouille Recipe
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Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini diced
- 1 large eggplant diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 6 medium tomatoes diced
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic left whole and unskinned
- 2 sprigs thyme stemmed
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 basil leaves finely chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables:
- Wash the zucchini and eggplant, cut off the ends, and dice into ½-inch cubes. Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half, remove the core, seeds, and white flesh, and cut them into ½-inch squares. Wash the tomatoes, cut them into quarters, discard the seeds, and cut them into ½-inch cubes.2 large zucchini, 1 large eggplant, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large green bell pepper, 6 medium tomatoes
- In a large frying pan or heavy bottom pot, heat up the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until glistening and fragrant.2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 large onion
- Add the diced bell peppers and eggplant and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
- Add the tomatoes, zucchini, garlic (in their skins), thyme, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Stir gently to mix. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for one hour. Occasionally, take the lid off and carefully wipe away the built-up condensation on the inner lid, and place the lid back on. This will help prevent having a watery ratatouille.2 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, ¼ tsp salt
- After one hour, check the consistency of the ratatouille. If the vegetables rendered too much water, let it simmer for 10 to 20 more minutes extra with the lid off.
- When the consistency is right, add the honey and stir to combine.1 tbsp honey
- Garnish with black pepper and fresh basil leaves and serve warm.2 basil leaves, ¼ tsp black pepper
Nutrition
Other Recipes That Go Well With Ratatouille
Image Credits:
- By the Barbarian’s Guide to Cooking – Copyright 2022, All rights reserved.
- By Citrus – https://www.facebook.com/citrusnice/
- By Tobi 87 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19405370
- By Aeris06, Frédéric Oropallo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77492746
- By Aeris06, Frédéric Oropallo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77492749
- By Aeris06, Frédéric Oropallo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77492750
- By Aeris06, Frédéric Oropallo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77492745
