Baby eggplant ratatouille is a classic French vegetable stew made with fresh summer vegetables including sweet little eggplants, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Serve it warm or at room temperature as a side or a light main course!
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The Inspiration Behind My Ratatouille
Today I was inspired by one of my favorite Pixar films, Ratatouille, a movie about a rat who would do anything to be a chef at the highly acclaimed Auguste Gusteau's restaurant in Paris.
I had four fresh squash on my kitchen counter. The baby eggplants that were left over from my baby eggplant parmigiana and my new basil pants were talking to me. It was time to make ratatouille.
Traditional French Ratatouille dates back to Provence, France, hundreds of years ago. Originally, it was a way to make the most of the abundance of late summer vegetables, just as it continues to be today.
Follow along for an easy ratatouille recipe that you can enjoy now or freeze for later. You're going to love this!
What You Need
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh garlic
- Yellow onions
- Green bell pepper
- Eggplant. (I used small baby eggplant or Indian eggplants. You can use full-size eggplants, too)
- Zucchini and/or yellow squash
- Fresh tomatoes or sub (1) 28-ounce can of San Marzano whole or crushed tomatoes. You can also use cherry tomatoes.
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh basil leaves
How to Peel Tomatoes
I peel the tomatoes before making this dish. If you are using fresh tomatoes, this extra step takes 5 minutes and you will have a smoother finished dish.
It's simple to do and you won't have to fish out rolled-up skins from your finished dish.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and cook for one minute. Remove from the water and plunge into a large bowl of ice and water.
Let them sit for one minute, and when cool enough to handle, lift the tomatoes out of the water and peel the skin off.
Once peeled, cut them in half or quarters and scoop out the seeds. Dice the tomatoes.
How to Cook Ratatouille
- With a sharp knife, dice all the vegetables.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until soft, but not brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes. Cook for 4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
- Add baby eggplant, squash, bell peppers, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper; stir.
- Cover the pot and simmer on medium-low for one hour.
- Lift the vegetables from the pot and place them in a large bowl.
- Reduce the liquid in the pot by half over high heat until you have a syrup-like sauce.
- Add the vegetables back to the pot and combine with the sauce. Add basil leaves.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to use.
Additional Seasonings for Ratatouille
To spice up the ratatouille, try you can add red pepper flakes or Tabasco hot sauce.
For serving, top the ratatouille with grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, and whole basil leaves.
Storage
Let the ratatouille come to room temperature and store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. To freeze, place the containers in the back of the freezer. It should keep well for about 6 months.
Uses for Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a thick vegetable stew. It can be a hot or cold side dish, sandwich filling, rice, or pasta topping.
It can be enjoyed in the following ways:
- Side dish: Serve alongside grilled or roasted meats, such as chicken, steak, lamb, or fish.
- Appetizer: Serve cold with crackers for a delicious appetizer.
- Pasta: Serve ratatouille over cooked pasta. Top it with some grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, and garnish with fresh herbs.
- Rice: Serve ratatouille over rice with a sprinkle of goat cheese or feta. Add sautéed shrimp or poached eggs on top for extra protein.
- Eggs: Use ratatouille as a filling for omelets. Simply spoon it into the center of your beaten eggs and cook until set.
- Sandwich or wrap: Spread ratatouille on bread, baguette, or in a wrap with some roasted or grilled vegetables for a vegetable sandwich.
- Salad: Serve chilled ratatouille as a cold salad. With a drizzle of olive oil over it, you have a healthy gluten-free vegan meal.
- With Crusty Bread: Serve ratatouille in a bowl with crusty bread on the side for dipping.
Summary
By the end of the summer, home gardeners have had their fair share of salads with homegrown tomatoes, sauteed zucchini, and homemade eggplant parmesan.
This easy ratatouille recipe pairs well with chicken, steak, rice, and pasta. You can also eat it as a cold salad on its own. This recipe cooks in one hour and is easy to make.
The best ratatouille recipe is the one you make with fresh vegetables.
FAQ
It takes about an hour and 15 minutes to make ratatouille. If you do not peel your tomatoes, you will save 10 minutes.
Ratatouille is made with summer vegetables, including tomatoes, eggplant, squash, onions, peppers, and garlic. Season it with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme and basil.
Yes, ratatouille is a vegan dish made with vegetables, olive oil, herbs, and spices.
Try Ratatouille with fish, steak, burgers, and chicken dishes. You can stuff tacos with the French vegetable stew and top them with cheese. Try rice, baked sweet potatoes, or crispy roasted potatoes.
Yes, freeze the ratatouille in pint-size containers and defrost as needed. The contents will be good for 6 months.
Baby Eggplant Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups diced yellow onions about 3 medium onions
- 1 diced green or red bell pepper
- 6-8 baby eggplants, stemmed and quartered (or 1 medium sized eggplant, peeled *see note (1) below)
- 3 cups diced green zucchini and/or yellow squash
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes*
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- a handful of fresh basil (if available)
Instructions
TO PEEL THE TOMATOES
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a rapid boil. While the water is heating, prepare a big bowl of ice water. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and after one minute plunge them into the ice water. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins. Quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Dice and set aside.
TO MAKE THE STEW
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until soft, but not brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes. Cook for 4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and start to fall apart. Add eggplant, squash, bell peppers, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper; stir.
- Cover the pot and simmer on low for one hour.
- Lift the vegetables from the pot and place in a large bowl.
- Reduce the liquid in the pot by half over high heat until you have a syrup-like sauce.
- Add the vegetables back to the pot and combine with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to use.
