Traditional French Ratatouille Niçoise Recipe

Discover the Secrets of French Cooking with This Traditional Recipe for Ratatouille Niçoise Dish

Traditional French Ratatouille dish is a delightful marriage of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers, infused with aromatic herbs and a hint of garlic. 

You can enjoy it as a side dish alongside grilled chicken or meat, especially lamb, or as a vegetarian or vegan main course served over plain rice, couscous, or simply mixed with pasta.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage and Reheating Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Traditional French Ratatouille Nicoise Recipe

Ratatouille is a traditional French / Mediterranean dish that originated in the Provence region of the South of France. 

This flavorful vegetable stew is made with a combination of ingredients such as eggplants (aubergines), tomatoes, zucchini (courgettes), peppers, onions, and garlic. 

The summer vegetables are typically cooked together until tender, allowing their flavors to blend and create a delicious medley.

Ratatouille is often seasoned with aromatic fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and basil, adding an extra layer of fragrance and taste.

This vegan and gluten-free vegetable stew dish is usually flavored with tomato paste, thyme, basil, and freshly ground pepper.

Why This Recipe Works?

• You can make this classic French dish ahead and serve at room temperature or slightly warm it up over gentle heat.

• This easy Ratatouille recipe is a great way to turn "not-so-popular vegetables" into an exciting dish.

• You can store the leftovers for up to 5 days refrigerated or for up to 3 months in the freezer.

• The leftovers are great as a topping for pizza or pasta.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Olive oil - Use a few tablespoons of olive oil just enough to saute the vegetables. Eggplants absorb lots of oil so be careful while sautéing them and don't add too much fat. Use a few drops of water to help with cooking the eggplants.

• Eggplants - Pick slightly firm but not hard eggplants when buying them. They take longer to cook than other vegetables. Don't rush and undercook it and use a splash of water to help the cooking process.

• Zucchini - You can use any type of zucchini or yellow squash as long they are fresh and firm.

• Peppers - Red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper are my favorite but you can use your favorite sweet peppers of all different colors.

• Red onions - They have a sharper taste than normal onions. They also add some purple color to this colorful vegetable stew. Alternatively, you can use brown or yellow onion.

• Tomatoes - Use red & juicy summer tomatoes if you can or use tinned crushed tomatoes during the winter season.

• Thyme - It is one of the most popular herbs to use in Mediterranean cooking. You can use rosemary or oregano instead.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making this traditional Ratatouille recipe is fairly easy.

However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

Prepare Your Vegetables

First, cut the vegetables into squares size 2 cm, not too big, not too small.

We want them to melt, but also to be able to recognize each vegetable in the final dish.

Sauté the Vegetables

Sauté each vegetable separately with olive oil before adding in a tomato and onion-based sauce.

Cooking the fresh vegetables separately ensures that each will taste exactly itself.

Heat a large saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoon olive oil.

Add the eggplants to the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and starting to brown.

Transfer them to a plate and set them aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan, add the zucchini, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until soft.

Transfer them to a plate along with the eggplants and set aside.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to the same pan, and sauté the peppers for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly cooked.

Transfer on a plate along with the eggplants and zucchini, and set them aside.

Prepare the Tomato Sauce

For the tomato sauce, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.

Sauté the onions, garlic, and thyme together for 5 minutes until soft.

Stir in the tomato paste then add the chopped fresh tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and sugar.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.

If using juicy and nicely ripened tomatoes, you don't need to use tomato paste for this recipe.

Cook the Vegetables in Tomato Sauce

Add the aubergines, courgettes, and peppers into the pan and mix with the tomato sauce.

Gently simmer for 30 minutes or until it has a smooth and creamy consistency.

Reduce the cooking time if you want your vegetables crunchy.

Check the seasoning, add more salt if necessary, and garnish the cooked ratatouille with chopped parsley or fresh basil before serving in a large bowl.

Top Tips From the Chef

• Opt for ripe, seasonal vegetables for the best flavor and texture in your Ratatouille dish. Look for vibrant colors and firm textures when selecting ingredients.

• Some aubergines can have a bitter taste. To avoid that, peel and cut your aubergines into the desired size and then leave them in salty water for half an hour, drain the water, and then dry them thoroughly before cooking.

• When sautéing the vegetables, consider cooking them in batches. Overcrowding the pan can lead to uneven cooking and steaming instead of proper caramelization.

• Let the Ratatouille rest for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to settle and deepen beautifully. Don't worry about heating it up before serving, ratatouille is also great when served warm.

• Once all the ingredients are combined, let the Ratatouille simmer gently over low heat. This slow cooking process allows the flavors to develop and meld together beautifully.

Serving Suggestions

Ratatouille is incredibly versatile.

This rustic vegetable French summer stew can be served as a side dish to complement grilled or roasted meat and fish dishes such as Rice Stuffed Chicken, Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab), Mediterranean Baked Salmon, or Inegol Kofte.
You can also serve Ratatouille as a main dish when mixed with grains such as Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Pilaf) or Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav).

Or simply serve it mixed with boiled pasta, on a bowl of Pomme Puree (Creamy Mashed Potatoes), or scoop it with some crusty bread, or delicious Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Storage

Allow the Ratatouille to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

If you want to extend the storage time, Ratatouille can be frozen. 

Place it in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags, leaving some headspace for expansion. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating

Reheat Ratatouille gently on the stovetop in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even heating.

If you want to reheat the leftovers in a microwave, transfer the desired portion of Ratatouille to a microwave-safe dish. 

Cover loosely with a microwave-safe lid or microwave-safe wrap. 

Heat in intervals, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the desired temperature.

Regardless of the reheating method you choose, remember to stir gently to distribute the heat evenly.

Ratatouille can sometimes become softer upon reheating, but it will still retain its delicious flavors.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For other delicious classic French recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this healthy and delicious Traditional French Ratatouille Niçoise Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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