Favorite Ratatouille
Submitted by lopez
French ratatouille of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomato, onion and garlic, stewed in olive oil with thyme and bay leaf. Each vegetable cooked separately first so nothing turns to mush. Serve hot or cold.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
60 minRatatouille gets a bad reputation because home cooks dump everything in one pot and end up with a brown puddle. This Provençal version takes the extra step that matters most. Each vegetable hits the hot skillet on its own first, so the eggplant, zucchini, onions and bell peppers each develop their own caramelized edges before meeting in the pan.
Drain the eggplant and zucchini in a colander while you work. They release water as they sit, and that water is exactly what ruins a watery ratatouille. By the time everything goes back into the skillet with the tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf, you’ve already lost the excess moisture and built genuine layered flavor.
The last 10 minutes uncovered are not optional. That reduction is where the stew tightens, the olive oil glosses everything and the dish moves from soggy to silky. Serve hot over crusty bread or chilled the next day as an antipasto.
Pro Tips
- Salt the cubed eggplant for 20 minutes before cooking and pat dry. It collapses faster in the pan and absorbs less oil.
- Use fresh thyme if you can find it. The dried version works but loses its grassy edge.
- Make this a day ahead. Ratatouille tastes deeper after a night in the fridge.
Variations
- Serve cold tossed with a splash of red wine vinegar and a handful of torn basil for a summer antipasto.
- Crack an egg into a divot in the simmering pan and poach for a Provençal one-pan supper.
- Stir in a spoonful of tomato paste when adding the fresh tomatoes for a richer, deeper-colored stew.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat first amount of oil in large heavy skillet.
When quite hot, add eggplant; cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.
With a wooden spoon, remove eggplant to colander.
Next cook zucchini in skillet, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
Remove to colander also.
Add remaining oil to skillet; sauté onion until clear.
Add green pepper to skillet, and cook while stirring, for about 3 minutes.
Stir in garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
Add drained eggplant and zucchini.
Cook while stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, cover tightly, and cook for 20 minutes.
Uncover and cook for about 10 minutes to reduce liquid that will have accumulated.
Serve hot or cold.
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