Ratatouille — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A sun-drenched Provencal celebration of summer vegetables: silky eggplant, tender zucchini, sweet peppers, and ripe tomatoes, each cooked to their individual best before being united in a fragrant herbal embrace. Rustic, vibrant, and utterly satisfying.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, cut into 2cm cubes
3 medium zucchini, cut into 2cm cubes
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2cm pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2cm pieces
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 400g canned)
2 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
80ml extra virgin olive oil
Fresh basil, thyme, and rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Splash of red wine vinegar

Instructions

1 Salt the eggplant cubes and let them sit in a colander for 20 minutes to draw out bitterness. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2 Cook each vegetable separately for the best ratatouille: sauté the eggplant in olive oil over high heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Remove and repeat with zucchini, then peppers. Set each aside.
3 In the same pot, soften the onions over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until sweet and translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4 Add the chopped tomatoes, herbes de Provence, bay leaves, and a few sprigs of thyme. Simmer for 15 minutes until the tomatoes break down into a rich sauce.
5 Return all the sautéed vegetables to the pot and fold gently into the tomato sauce. Season generously with salt, pepper, and a splash of red wine vinegar to brighten.
6 Cover and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors meld together but the vegetables retain some texture.
7 Remove bay leaves, tear in fresh basil leaves, and drizzle with your finest olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread or as a side to grilled fish.

Did You Know?

Traditional ratatouille is nothing like the elegant thinly-sliced tian made famous by Pixar's film. The real Nicoise version is a rustic, chunky stew where each vegetable is cooked separately to honor its individual character.