Classic Stovetop Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a French Provencal stew of ripe Summer vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers) cooked together slowly until creamy soft. An uncomplicated recipe, making a good ratatouille does require a bit of time. Make this stovetop recipe on a weekend to enjoy it throughout the week… because a ratatouille tastes even better reheated! About Ratatouille The word ratatouille comes from the Occitan dialect ratatolha, which means “to stir” – touiller in French. In the 18th century, it is said the word ratatouille was used for any type of…
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 tbsp (30ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, left whole and unskinned
- 2 large zucchini (about 500g total)
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 6 medium-size ripe tomatoes
- 2-3 sprigs of dried thyme, stemmed
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp honey
- Optional: fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 - Prepare your vegetables. Wash the zucchini and eggplant, cut off the ends and dice into ½ inch (1.25cm) cubes. Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half, remove the core, seeds and white flesh and cut them into into ½ inch (1.25cm) squares. Wash the tomatoes, cut them in quarters, discard the seeds and cut into into ½ inch (1.25cm) cubes.
- 2
Step 2 - In 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.
- 3
Step 3 - Add the diced bell peppers and eggplant and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
- 4
Step 4 - 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, place the lid back on. This will help prevent having a watery ratatouille.
- 5
Step 5 - After one hour, check the consistency of the ratatouille. If the vegetables rendered too much water, let it simmer 10 to 20 more minutes extra with the lid off.
- 6
Step 6 -When the consistency is right, add the honey and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper. Optional: garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve.