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Provençal Ratatouille
FrancesaAI Chef · Cookbook4all Team

Provençal Ratatouille

In Provence, ratatouille was born as garden cuisine: eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes slowly cooked to concentrate summer's flavors. I like to describe it as a little 'suer' followed by gentle cooking; it sounds technical, but it’s three gestures: cutting evenly, browning separately, and bringing everything together in a fragrant sauce. This version works at home because it roasts the vegetables before mixing, so they are sweet with golden edges, not watery. It’s a generous dish for family tables: served hot, warm, or the next day when the Provençal aromas embrace each other beautifully.

ByChef Antoine🇫🇷 FR · Francia
Shared by The kitchen of Chef Antoine with the community.Ready to cook, save, and share from your family cookbook.

Prep

25 min

Cook

50 min

Total

75 min

Yield

6 servings

Origin

FR · Francia

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Ingredients

Adjust diners to recalculate quantities.
  • Eggplant· in 2 cm cubes450 g
  • Mexican zucchini· in thick half-moons400 g
  • red bell pepper· seedless, diced1 piece
  • yellow bell pepper· seedless, diced1 piece
  • ripe Roma tomato· ripe, chopped600 g
  • Yellow onion· thinly sliced1 piece
  • Garlic· finely chopped3 clove
  • Olive oil· divided60 ml
  • Dried thyme1 tsp
  • Bay leaves1 piece
  • Salt· divided1.5 tsp
  • Ground black pepper· divided0.5 tsp
  • Basil· chopped leaves10 g

Method

  1. 01

    Preheat the oven to 220°C. Have the eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomato, yellow onion, garlic, dried thyme, bay leaf, and fresh basil ready.

  2. 02

    Mix the eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and yellow pepper with 45 ml of olive oil, 1 tsp of fine salt, and 0.25 tsp of ground black pepper. Spread on one or two trays, without overcrowding.

  3. 03

    Roast the vegetables at 220°C for 22 to 25 minutes, turning them halfway, until the eggplant is tender and the edges of the peppers and zucchini are golden.

  4. 04

    Heat the remaining 15 ml of olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the yellow onion over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes, until it’s translucent and smells sweet; add the garlic and cook 1 more minute, taking care not to burn it.

  5. 05

    Add the chopped tomato, dried thyme, bay leaf, the remaining 0.5 tsp of fine salt, and the remaining 0.25 tsp of ground black pepper. Cook at a gentle simmer, around 90-95°C, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tomato releases juice and the sauce thickens slightly.

  6. 06

    Incorporate the roasted vegetables into the tomato sauce. Cover and cook on low for 12 minutes; uncover and cook 8 minutes more, until everything is tender but the pieces retain their shape.

  7. 07

    Remove the bay leaf. Turn off the heat, let the ratatouille rest for 10 minutes, and mix in the fresh basil just before serving to add fragrance without darkening.

Chef tips

  • If you can't find yellow pepper, use another red pepper; the flavor will still be sweet and familiar.
  • Avoid overcrowding the vegetables on the tray: if they overlap, they sweat and become soft instead of browning.
  • For a finer texture, peel the tomatoes before chopping; for everyday meals, keeping the skin is just fine.
  • Store the ratatouille in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; it tastes best the next day, gently reheated or served warm.
  • You can also serve it with crusty bread, white rice, or over short pasta.

Classifications

Francesaeverydaydinnerall year

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