TABELIA

AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Ratatouille

Ratatouille
Difficulty★★★☆☆ Prep23 min Cook54 min servings4

A Provençal stew of summer vegetables centered on Nice. Traditionally, eggplant, zucchini, peppers and onion are always sautéed separately, 1 type at a time, before combining. Cooking them together releases water and blurs each vegetable’s character. Serve warm or cold; the flavors blend further overnight.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

AUTHENTICITY SCORE

Authenticity Score

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Ingredients (4 servings)

  • EggplantRemove the stem and cut into 2 cm cubes.2 pieces
  • ZucchiniCut into half-moons 2 cm thick.2 pieces
  • Red bell pepperRemove stem and seeds and cut into 2 cm cubes.1 piece
  • Yellow bell pepperRemove stem and seeds and cut into 2 cm cubes.1 piece
  • OnionCut into 1.5 cm cubes.1 piece
  • TomatoesFully ripe. Blanch, peel and cut into 2 cm cubes.4 pieces
  • GarlicFinely chopped.3 cloves
  • Olive oilUse each time you sauté 1 vegetable type.75 ml
  • Thyme2 sprigs
  • Bay leaf1 leaf
  • BasilTear by hand and add to finish.8 leaves
  • Salt1 teaspoon
  • Black pepperGrind to finish.0.5 teaspoons

Method

115 min

Prepare the vegetables

  • 1 Start boiling water in a small saucepan.
  • 2 Remove the stems from 2 eggplants and cut into 2 cm cubes.
  • 3 Cut 2 zucchini into half-moons 2 cm thick.
  • 4 Remove stems and seeds from 1 red and 1 yellow pepper and cut into 2 cm cubes.
  • 5 Cut 1 onion into 1.5 cm cubes.
  • 6 Finely chop 3 garlic cloves.
28 min

Blanch and peel the tomatoes

  • 1 Use the boiling water to blanch and peel the tomatoes.
  • 2 Score a shallow cross opposite the stem of each of 4 tomatoes, immerse for 20–30 seconds and transfer to cold water.
  • 3 When the skin lifts from the cuts, peel by hand, remove the stems and cut into 2 cm cubes.
38 min

Brown the eggplant

  • 1 Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté only the eggplant for 7–8 minutes.
  • 2 When lightly browned all over and softened after absorbing oil, transfer to a large stewing pot.

Caution

Always sauté vegetables 1 type at a time. Combining several lowers the pan temperature, releases water and braises instead of browning, making the whole ratatouille watery.

46 min

Brown the zucchini

  • 1 Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pan over medium heat and sauté only the zucchini for 4–5 minutes.
  • 2 When the cut surfaces are lightly browned, transfer to the stewing pot.
56 min

Brown the peppers

  • 1 Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pan over medium heat and sauté only the peppers for 4–5 minutes.
  • 2 When the edges soften slightly and a sweet aroma rises, transfer to the stewing pot.
67 min

Sauté onion and garlic

  • 1 Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pan over medium heat and sauté the onion for 5–6 minutes.
  • 2 When translucent, add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, then transfer to the stewing pot.
725 min

Simmer the tomatoes into a sauce

  • 1 Add tomatoes, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt to the vegetable pot and place over low heat.
  • 2 Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally from the bottom.
  • 3 Ready when the tomatoes have broken down into sauce and all the vegetables are tender but retain their shape.
82 min

Finish with basil and pepper

  • 1 Turn off the heat, tear 8 basil leaves into the pot by hand, stir through and add 4–5 turns of black pepper.
  • 2 Serve warm or allow the initial heat to dissipate and serve cold.
A view of Cours Saleya, Nice
Cours Saleya, NiceFrance Photo: Patrice Semeria · Public domain (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

In Nice’s old town on the Mediterranean, summer markets pile high with eggplant, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes. Ratatouille is a Provençal regional dish that captures the peak of those summer vegetables in a pot.

The word first appeared in 18th-century texts for a rough stew, a humble dish developed as everyday food for farmers and workers. Around Nice it eventually took its established form as a summer-vegetable stew and became representative of southern France.

At the table it accompanies meat or fish warm, or is chilled as an appetizer. Many households make extra to enjoy the following day, when the flavors have mingled. Now also a film title, it is one of the southern French dishes best known outside France.

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