Classic Ratatouille (The Dish, Not the Movie)

Whenever I hear the word ratatouille, I always think of the movie with Remy the rat, who makes his way to chef stardom.

At the end of that movie (spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen it, coming up…), Remy serves up a gorgeous ratatouille to a food critic.

There’s a big OMG moment because ratatouille is known as a peasant dish, and how could he possibly want to serve such a simple dish to a critic?

When the food critic puts the first mouthful on his tongue, he is transported back to his childhood, when his mother made that rustic recipe.

It’s that moment in the movie that I love the most because that’s always my philosophy with food – food should transport you to another time and place, with every bite.

It should either excite you with the thrill of adventure, because of the new flavors that you get to experience, or it should remind you of that one time in that one place when you tried something similar, and oh-so-delicious.

The flood of memories that come rushing back with that first taste, and the ability to make powerful new memories – that’s what I love about food. And that’s what makes food so special, isn’t it?

We all gather around the table every single day for at least one meal. It’s during those meals that we share stories about our days or news, while also making memories with friends and family. The food brings us all together.

This homemade ratatouille is my ultimate rustic go-to meal. It’s full of rich and hearty flavors that are simple, yet very sophisticated at the same time.

With eggplant, onion, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes, the loads of vegetables in this dish really make for a tasty combination.

The most important thing when making this recipe is to follow the instructions as closely as you can, in the order that they are listed. For the best texture and flavor possible in the finished product, you are going to cook each of the vegetables separately.

The good news is that you only have to use one pan to accomplish this. The vegetables have different textures, so different amounts of time are required to cook them to perfection.

This ratatouille really is super simple to make, and it just requires a few steps. Honestly, the biggest time suck is preparing all the vegetables before you cook them. That’s why I love to make this recipe with my husband.

We get a chance to spend some time together in the kitchen before dinner, chopping up the vegetables and sharing the fun experience of cooking together.

While your meal simmers on the stove, there’s time to kick back and pour yourself a glass of wine.

Served over couscous or your favorite cooked grain, this meal is comforting, filling, and healthy. The variety of vegetables and fresh herbs are nutritious and flavorful.

This is a dish that you can easily serve to your family on a weeknight, or you can serve it when you are hosting friends and family for a dinner party.

Serve it up with your favorite red wine (I personally love to serve this with a cabernet sauvignon or a pinot noir), and you have a meal to remember – not to mention, one that will be requested over and over again.

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep Vegetables, Chop Herbs, And Measure Remaining Ingredients

Peel and chop one large onion. You should have about 1 cup total.

Peel and mince 4 cloves of garlic.

When prepping the vegetables for this recipe, be sure to chop them as uniformly as you can, so they will cook evenly.

Chop one medium eggplant into small cubes, for about 2 to 2 1/2 cups total.

Slice 2 medium zucchini. You should wind up with about 2 to 2 1/2 cups.

Seed and chop 2 green bell peppers, for about one cup total.

Dice enough tomatoes until you have 2 cups total. If you are using canned, be sure to drain them in a colander first.

I used about 3 medium tomatoes, or you could use about 1 drained 28-ounce can, maybe a little less. Freeze any leftovers to add to a sauce or another recipe later.

Chop enough oregano leaves and basil until you have 1 1/2 teaspoons total of each herb.

Chop enough thyme leaves until you have 1/2 teaspoon total.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.

Step 2 – Cook Onion

In a large Dutch oven or a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.

Once it’s hot, add the onion and saute until it is softened and translucent, stirring occasionally. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Transfer the onion and garlic to a large bowl.

Step 3 – Cook Eggplant

Return the pan to the heat. Add the eggplant and saute until it’s cooked through, for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the eggplant from the pan and place it in the bowl with the onion.

Step 4 – Cook Zucchini

Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Once it’s hot, add the sliced zucchini and cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the zucchini from the pan and add it to the bowl with the other cooked vegetables.

Step 5 – Cook Peppers

Are we having fun yet?

Add another teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Stir in the bell peppers and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the peppers and place them in the large bowl with the other vegetables.

Step 6 – Cook Tomatoes

Add the last remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the pan.

You know what to do! Once it’s hot, add the tomatoes and tomato puree. Cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, less if using canned.

Step 7 – Simmer It All Together

Add all of the cooked vegetables back to the pan. Stir in the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low.

Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fork tender.

Serve immediately over couscous or your favorite grain. Try our tutorial for pressure cooker whole wheat couscous!