Ratatouille is one of the most versatile vegetable dishes around. Make it in large quantities so you have left over. It gets better every time you reheat it. You can eat it as a side to meat or fish the first day. The next day you can use the left over as a great pasta sauce. It's also delicious over plain rice.
As lots of healthy foods, it comes to us from the south of France. While I can make a pretty good ratatouille, my husband, a native from Marseille, is really the expert (he'll tell you that people from the north like me don't stand a chance at making the real thing). This is his recipe below.
What you need (for 6-8 people)
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled but kept whole
- 1 large eggplan, cut into 1' cubes
- 1 red and or green bell pepper, cut into 2'x1/3' strips
- 4 zucchini, cut into 1/4' slices
- 8 roma tomatoes (alternatively you can use canned tomatoes), cut into 4 pieces each
- salt and freshly ground pepper
How to make this ratatouille
The first time you make this, you'll want to cut all the veggies first to not be rushed, but as you get familiar with the recipe you can actually cut the veggies as you add them to save time.
In a large pot (ideally a Le Creuset cast iron), heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat with the oil. Add the eggplant, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers, stir and cook for another 3-5 minutes with the lid on, stirring about every minute.
Now add the zucchini and tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cover with the lid and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
That's it. You can serve immediately, or prepare it in advance and reheat before serving.
Perfect!
Posted by: Lucas | 04/05/2012 at 05:49 AM