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Simple Ratatouille Recipe (a French Classic)
5 from 12 votes

Simple Ratatouille Recipe (a French Classic)

This recipe for Simple Ratatouille combines sautéed onions, garlic, and three colors of bell peppers with diced aubergine and zucchini, simmered gently with Italian chopped tomatoes and herbs. The vegetables cook to a tender consistency with a rich, herbed tomato sauce, suitable as a side or served over pasta. It’s a vegetable dish that offers a balance of sweet bell peppers, earthy eggplant, and soft zucchini with aromatic herbs.

Prep Time
12 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped, large
  • 3 garlic crushed, large cloves
  • 1 red bell pepper deseeded and diced, medium
  • 1 green bell pepper deseeded and diced, medium
  • 1 yellow bell pepper deseeded and diced, medium or orange bell pepper
  • 1 aubergine diced, large
  • 2 zucchini sliced into half-moon shapes, medium size
  • 400 g chopped tomatoes 14 oz can, Italian
  • 2 tomato puree heaped tablespoon, Italian
  • 1 tsp herbes de provence or Italian mixed herbs
  • 120 ml water \/ 4 fl oz
  • salt sea salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper sea salt and freshly ground
Garnish
  • Parmesan Cheese optional, shavings
  • basil optional, fresh leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan on a low to medium heat and soften the onion and garlic for about 7-10 mins under a lid stirring occasionally.
  2. Add another tbsp of olive oil, the chopped peppers, aubergine (eggplant) and courgette (zucchini) and fry stirring continuously for about 10 minutes (longer for a more caramelised flavour).
  3. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, mixed herbs, seasoning and water.
  4. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (until vegetables are cooked through).
  5. Serve ratatouille garnished with Parmesan cheese shavings and basil leaves (optional) as a side dish or on a bed of spaghetti/pasta.

Notes

  • Rinse out and add the tomato can juice to the pot to enhance tomato flavor.
  • Allow the dish to rest for one to two days as flavors develop with time.