Simple Ratatouille
I was sitting at my desk at work one morning when an announcement came over the PA:
“A glass tupperware fell out of the fridge in the break room. It had, uh some kind of stew with maybe cucumbers? And carrots? If this is your lunch, please come to the front desk.”
It was in fact, my lunch. It was my ratatouille, and however bummed I was that it had become a mess on the break room floor, I was amused by the description of my unrecognizable riff on the classic French stew.
I am not exactly sure why ratatouille is not a major player in comfort food. Depending on your options, it is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and Whole 30 compliant. It is a filling vegetarian dish and it is a particularly nice dinner option when it is cold outside. Plus, the leftovers keep well and they are easy to reheat.
I didn’t actually try ratatouille until A and I started dating. We were spending the weekend with friends in Santa Barbara, and he made it for brunch one day with sunny-side-up eggs and fried polenta. These days, I make it a couple times a month so I can have the leftovers for lunch during the week.
Below is a very simple version of ratatouille that has been adapted from the way A’s family makes it in France. There are different recipes out there, but this one is straightforward and works for those of us who aren’t exactly “mastering the art of French cooking.” It usually takes me about an hour and I would expect it to feed 4 people with a little bit of leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 large onions cut to a large dice
2-3 red, yellow or orange bell peppers cut into chunks
1 lb small zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4” coins
1 large eggplant peeled and cut into 1/4” cubes
1 lb tomatoes (we use kumatos) cut into chunks
Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Herbes de Provence (optional)
Serving suggestions:
Slices of fried polenta
Sunny side up eggs
Pasta
Shaved parmesan
Fresh basil
Red chili flakes
Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and heat on medium. Cut the onions into chunks and add to the pan
While the onions are carmelizing (about 10 mins), stir occasionally and cut the peppers into chunks. Add these to the onions when they onions are starting to brown
While the onions and peppers are cooking together, peel the eggplant and cut into 1/4” rounds. Cut the rounds into strips and then into chunks. Add to a glass dish and microwave for 4 minutes.
While the eggplant is heating in the microwave, put a pan to the stove and coat the bottom with olive oil. Heat the olive oil on medium
Peel the zucchini and slice into coins. When the eggplant is done in the microwave, add it to the pan with olive oil and then pop the zucchini into the microwave for 4 minutes
Stir the eggplant so that it is evenly coated with olive oil. When the zucchini slices are done, add them to the eggplant and stir until they are evenly distributed. Add some olive oil if things are getting a bit dry
Once the eggplant and zucchini start to get tender, add them along with the tomatoes to the large pot with the onions and peppers and stir
The tomatoes will give up their juices and make things look a little watery for a while. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the juices are mostly absorbed (about 20 minutes)
I usually season with a little bit of salt and pepper, but you can add a bit of Herbes de Provence for flavor if you feel like it
Garnish with shaved parmesan, basil, or nothing at all. Serve with your choice of sides or on its own
