France · French cuisine of Nice and Provence
Ratatouille niçoise
Sun-ripened tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers and onions, each cooked separately in olive oil then simmered together with garlic, thyme and basil until sweet, concentrated and still distinct.
Cookhuddle Editorial Cookhuddle | France
Editorial selection: recipes cross-checked against several documentary sources. They have not been tested in our kitchen: follow the precautions given and adapt times to your own oven.
Photo: Arnaud 25 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source · cropped
translation Translated from French. Translation by Cookhuddle Editorial. Read the original
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- Servings
- 6
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cooking
- 67 min
- Resting
- 10 min
- Total
- 102 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
Cuisine / tradition: French cuisine of Nice and Provence (FR) — declared by the author
- Main dish
- Side dish
- Everyday
Ingredients
For 6 servings
- 250 g onions, sliced
- 500 g red and green peppers, diced
- 500 g aubergines, diced
- 500 g courgettes, diced
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
- 5 clove garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 piece bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf)
- 8 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 10 piece basil leaves, torn
Method
- Step 1. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, cool them in cold water, then peel, deseed and dice them. Cut the peppers, aubergines and courgettes into 2 cm dice and slice the onions.
- Step 2. Cook each vegetable separately in a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil per batch over medium-high heat, salting lightly: the onions for 8 minutes until soft, the peppers for 8 minutes, the aubergines for 10 minutes until golden and the courgettes for 6 minutes. Set each aside once cooked.
- Step 3. In a large casserole put the onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and bouquet garni. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes.⏱ 10 min
- Step 4. Add the aubergines and courgettes, cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so that the juices reduce and the vegetables stay whole.⏱ 25 min
- Step 5. Remove the bouquet garni, adjust the salt and pepper and scatter with the torn basil. Rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm or cold, and even better the next day.⏱ 10 min
Story and cultural note
Ratatouille is a traditional dish of Niçoise, Provençal and Mediterranean cooking: a summer stew of vegetables and olive oil. Sources agree on onions, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers and (in most versions) aubergines, and differ on the method: one cooks all the vegetables together in a covered pan for 20 minutes, while others, like this recipe, brown each vegetable on its own first so that each keeps its texture and flavour before they meet in the pot.
Tips for success
Cook each vegetable on its own in a wide pan so that it browns instead of steaming. Salt lightly at each step. Use ripe summer tomatoes: they carry the sauce. Finish uncovered to evaporate the juices without crushing the vegetables. Ratatouille improves when it rests: serve it warm, at room temperature, or the next day.
Serving and presentation
Serve in the cooking dish or a shallow terracotta dish, drizzled with a thread of raw olive oil and topped with fresh basil. Good with grilled meat, fish, rice, or just crusty bread.
Diet and allergens
Information declared by the author. CookHuddle does not verify or certify it. If you have an allergy, check the ingredients yourself.
DietVegetarianVeganGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free
Containsnone declared
