Provencal Ratatouille
Zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and bell peppers are layered and slow-roasted together until tender and deeply caramelized in this classic Provençal dish. Long oven time draws out moisture and concentrates the flavor of each vegetable, so the finished ratatouille is rich and cohesive rather than watery. Plan for about 90 minutes of mostly hands-off cooking.
Equipment
- Mandoline slicer
- Large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven
- Sharp chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil use high-quality, cold-pressed for best flavor
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes canned or fresh, no added salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper adjust to taste
- 1 small eggplant cut into 1/8-inch rounds
- 1 medium zucchini cut into 1/8-inch rounds
- 1 medium yellow squash cut into 1/8-inch rounds
- 2 small heirloom tomatoes cut into 1/8-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over the top
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Begin the tomato base: In a large, oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for about 6–8 minutes, or until translucent and just starting to caramelize. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, thyme, sea salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5–7 minutes to allow the sauce to slightly reduce and deepen in flavor. Remove from heat and smooth the tomato mixture evenly over the pan.
- Prepare your sliced vegetables: Using a mandoline for uniformity, slice eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and heirloom tomatoes into 1/8-inch rounds. Separate them into neat piles for layering.
- Layer the vegetables: Arrange the vegetable slices in alternating patterns directly on top of the tomato base, slightly overlapping in a circular, spiral pattern if using a round pan.
- Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with another pinch of thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Cover the dish with parchment paper, slightly domed above the vegetables, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender and lightly caramelized.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before garnishing with chopped basil and serving warm.
Notes
- To enhance sweetness, sprinkle a pinch of sugar into the tomato sauce during simmering if your tomatoes are particularly acidic.
- Substitute Japanese eggplant for a more delicate flavor or for better color balance.
- If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, assemble everything in a baking dish instead after cooking the sauce on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 304mgPotassium: 775mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 990IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
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