Ratatouille is a rustic delicious vegetable stew tracing its origins to Nice, France. Its flavours are bright and delicious and this dish could be enjoyed in so many different ways!
In the picture below, I’m using ratatouille to top a fresh baguette and then adding a sunny side up fried egg for a complete meal. You can serve ratatouille as a side dish, or even as a dip! How about using it as topping for rice or polenta? So many options!
My favourite way to prepare ratatouille is by using the oven. This way, the preparation is such a low-maintenance affair!
Look at these humble ingredients. 10 minutes of prep, 1.5-2 hours of mostly unattended baking, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice – and you are done!
Preheat the oven to 400.
While the oven is preheating, wash, dry and chop your peppers, zucchinis and eggplant. Do not chop them finely. You are looking to chop all of them into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes. Place them into a large non-stick baking sheet. Add the garlic. Chop your onions into 3/4 inch dice. Add to the rest of the vegetables.
Drizzle everything with oil as lightly or as liberally as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake in preheat oven. The roasting time will vary between 1 1/2 and 2 hours, depending on how chunky you like your stew.
Toss your vegetables occasionally and strategically. We are looking to char them lightly, roast them until very tender and caramelized. If you notice then some veggies are burning, pile them close to other veggies as all the moisture will prevent them from burning. If some veggies are not caramelizing enough - redistribute them close to the edges of your baking sheet where they can char a bit more.
Sometimes when I want my stew very broken down, I bake it for the full 2 hours. But after 1 1/2 hours you should be close to done - your veggies should be tender, caramelized and fragrant. At that time, remove them from the oven, season with more salt and pepper to taste and squeeze some lemon juice over them. Start with about half of the lemon and add more to taste.
Enjoy the stew by itself, as a side dish with rice or polenta, or fresh bread.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400.
While the oven is preheating, wash, dry and chop your peppers, zucchinis and eggplant. Do not chop them finely. You are looking to chop all of them into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes. Place them into a large non-stick baking sheet. Add the garlic. Chop your onions into 3/4 inch dice. Add to the rest of the vegetables.
Drizzle everything with oil as lightly or as liberally as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake in preheat oven. The roasting time will vary between 1 1/2 and 2 hours, depending on how chunky you like your stew.
Toss your vegetables occasionally and strategically. We are looking to char them lightly, roast them until very tender and caramelized. If you notice then some veggies are burning, pile them close to other veggies as all the moisture will prevent them from burning. If some veggies are not caramelizing enough - redistribute them close to the edges of your baking sheet where they can char a bit more.
Sometimes when I want my stew very broken down, I bake it for the full 2 hours. But after 1 1/2 hours you should be close to done - your veggies should be tender, caramelized and fragrant. At that time, remove them from the oven, season with more salt and pepper to taste and squeeze some lemon juice over them. Start with about half of the lemon and add more to taste.
Enjoy the stew by itself, as a side dish with rice or polenta, or fresh bread.
Happens to be Gluten-Free: As long as you serve it with Gluten-Free bread, or omit bread entirely. As with all gluten-free recipes, ensure all your ingredients are gluten free and not cross-contaminated.
Happens to be Vegetarian, Vegan and Dairy-Free.
