In the summer season, every housewife prepares ratatouille not perfectly. The recipe for a vegetable snack originates from the environs of Provence and Nice. These regions are famous for the fragrances of herbs and gifts of nature. No wonder the origin of this dish, the aroma of which fills the room with the juicy flavors of sun-drenched vegetables.
The word “ratatouille” was originally mentioned in 1778 to refer to a motley stew. It consists of pieces of boiled vegetables, especially eggplants, onions, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes, as well as garlic. Like any “universal” dish, there is no exact recipe, but there are cooking guidelines. The recipe for ratatouille can be prepared in two ways: cooking all vegetables or cooking vegetables by type separately. For example, defenders of the Provençal tradition advocate roasting vegetables one by one and simmering paprika over a flame to get rid of the skin and give it a smoky flavor.
Ratatouille is usually served as a side dish. But you can also serve it as a main course, which is accompanied by rice or bread. In France, it is usually served with fish such as tuna. However, this is not the rule. It can also be combined with quiche or soufflé.
Ratatouille: recipe French version
In the collective imagination, ratatouille seems to be a Mediterranean culinary tradition that has always existed… In France, ratatouille is considered a recipe for a culinary dish from Nice, which is also ubiquitous in Provence. In fact, the dish exists in many countries under different names and is a stew of different vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 1 eggplant;
- 4 zucchini;
- 6 tomatoes;
- 4 bulbs;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- ground pepper;
- Salt;
- Olive oil;
- 1 bouquet garni.
Cooking:
- Wash all vegetables recommended for ratatouille. Continue the recipe by slicing eggplant, zucchini and onion (rings).
- Chop the remaining vegetables into cubes.
- Heat up a skillet with oil. Fry each type of vegetable separately in turn. Don’t sauté the tomato and garlic.
- Place all prepared vegetables in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or cauldron.
- Add the bouquet garni, cook for 45 minutes.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Ratatouille: American Version Recipe
Ratatouille is a healthy low-fat vegetable stew. This is a great way to consume the abundance of fresh summer vegetables from the garden. The benefits of simple vegetables are the perfection of ratatouille. The recipe described below features a layered technique. You won’t be able to resist putting a few spoonfuls of ratatouille on a slice of fresh bread for a late-night snack.
Ingredients:
- 2 pcs. eggplant;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 2 pcs. large yellow onion;
- 1 PC. red bell pepper;
- 150 g of yellow pumpkin;
- 1 st. l. fresh thyme leaves;
- 2-3 pcs. tomato;
- 1 PC. orange bell pepper;
- 3-5 sprigs of fresh parsley;
- 1 PC. vegetable marrow;
- 1/2 st. olive oil;
- 1/4 st. fresh basil;
- Salt and pepper for taste.
Cooking:
- Rinse vegetables on ratatouille. The recipe involves slicing medium-sized zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin and bell pepper into cubes.
- Peel the onion, chop finely, chop the garlic finely with a knife.
- Coarsely chop the thyme, parsley and basil.
- In a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil and heat oil until hot.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion is caramelized.
- Add the eggplant and fresh thyme and continue to cook the ratatouille for another 5 minutes. The recipe may call for more oil. If the vegetables start to stick to the bottom of the pan while you are cooking, drizzle with a little more olive oil and toss.
- Add red and orange bell peppers, zucchini and pumpkin. Cook for another 5 minutes until you see the vegetables are done. As the vegetables simmer, they shrink in size and begin to blend, which means the flavors connect.
- Add tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh parsley, stir to combine.
- Add salt and pepper for taste. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring to combine the flavors of all ingredients.
- When you’re ready to serve ratatouille, add basil to the recipe. Garnish with 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon fresh basil. Can be served hot or at room temperature.
Ratatouille appetizer recipe with rainbow layers
With colorful layers of fresh vegetables and garlicky tomato sauce… this veggie casserole is perfect for starting the week without a lot of calories. To make the dish a hearty winter dinner, we suggest adding a portion of potatoes and a layer of béchamel to traditional ratatouille. The recipe will turn out beyond praise.
Dish Ingredients:
- 1 green zucchini;
- 1 yellow zucchini;
- 1 red pepper;
- 2-3 potatoes;
- 1 eggplant;
- Salt and black pepper;
- 2-3 sprigs of cumin;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- ½ tsp hot pepper flakes or ground;
- 1-2 tbsp. good quality tomato sauce
- 1 sprig of basil
For the bechamel sauce:
- 1 st. l. butter;
- 1 st. l. flour;
- 1 st. milk;
- 1/3 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
Cooking:
- Visually beautiful, appetizing ratatouille is a recipe that is first eaten with the eyes. It creates a desire to try and this is its advantage. For a beautiful presentation, use a mandala. With it, the cutting will turn out even and neat. This also ensures that everything cooks evenly. Slice zucchini, potatoes, zucchini and eggplant.
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees.
- Pour into a saucepan 2 tbsp. water, bring to a boil. Throw potatoes cut into beautiful slices into salted water, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then drain the water, spread the potatoes to cool slightly.
- Grind cumin, red pepper, hot pepper, garlic and basil, mix with tomato sauce. The resulting sauce will make ratatouille fragrant. The recipe can be supplemented with other herbs that bring you gastronomic pleasure.
- Cook bechamel in a skillet or in the microwave. Melt the butter, add flour and a little milk, mix with a whisk until a homogeneous consistency is formed. Add milk, stirring with a whisk, until the sauce is of optimal thickness.
- Grease a baking dish with oil. Pour the tomato sauce on the bottom, spread over the entire area. Salt, sprinkle with a small amount of olive (vegetable) oil.
- Spread the bechamel evenly on top of the tomato sauce.
- Put slices of vegetables in ratatouille according to the recipe, as in the photo. Alternate vegetables by type: zucchini, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes.
- After laying out, sprinkle the dish with olive oil, set to bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Serve hot or cold with slices of fresh crispy bread.
Ratatouille: recipe with mushrooms
You can argue for a long time about whether mushrooms are classified as vegetables. But it is much more rational to cook ratatouille with them. The recipe described below is low-calorie, while satisfying and fragrant. The addition of mushrooms is completely unconventional for a classic dish. But with them, you will definitely like it!
vegetable ingredients:
- 2 zucchini;
- 1 eggplant;
- 250 g large mushrooms;
- 1 onion;
- 3 tomatoes;
- 1 st. l. olive oil (other vegetable);
- Salt pepper.
Sauce Ingredients:
- 411 g can of tomatoes, diced or sauce;
- 1 st. l. olive oil;
- 1 tsp herbs Provence;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 1 st. l. balsamic vinegar;
- 2 tbsp. l. chopped basil;
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste.
Cooking:
- Wash vegetables, pat dry. Cut into rings, up to 1 cm thick. It is desirable that the vegetables have approximately the same thickness and size.
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees.
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
- Spread the sauce in a thin layer on a round or oval casserole dish, about 1.5 liters (1.5 liters) in size.
- Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and onion in a spiral, alternating between them.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.