Ratatouille Recipe from our Provence Cooking Vacation

‘Tis the season for ratatouille! This dish, packed as it is with summer vegetables, is perfect for this time of year. It also has its roots in Provence, which makes sense, considering the region is a land of sunshine.

Definitely note in the recipe how the vegetables are cooked separately. This helps ensure they’re all cooked just right with just the amount of caramelization, making this dish extra delicious. For more tips, come join our chefs in the kitchen, where they happily share cooking secrets and techniques, as well as why fresh, seasonal ingredients make a difference in any dish.

Learn more about Provence: the land of lavender.

Ratatouille

Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Cook method: Sauté, Bake

Ingredients

• 3 aubergines (eggplants)
• 3 courgettes (zucchini)
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tomatoes, very ripe
• 1 Tbsp of natural sea salt
• 1 Tbsp of Provencal herbs
• 1 Tbsp of ground black pepper
• 1/2 Cup of olive oil

Discover Provence on a cooking vacation.

Instructions: 

1. Rinse the aubergines, remove the stem, cut them vertically into slices of one cm (1/2‘’) and then in squares of 1cm (1/2‘’). Put the aubergine cubes in a colander, add a little salt, and let the liquid drain. If you use small organic aubergines there is less water.

2. Put olive oil in a pan, enough to cover the bottom, heat gently, no more than 200°F (95°C).

3. Rinse the zucchini and cut into small cubes as you did with the aubergine. Put the zucchini cubes in the pan and sauté gently until they turn light brown. Increase the heat if necessary but not more than 250°F (120°C).

4. When zucchini are browned put them in a casserole, add olive oil in the pan and cook the aubergines in the same way.

5. Meanwhile, peel and cut the tomatoes into small cubes, dice the onion, and mince the garlic.

6. When the aubergines turn light brown, put them in the casserole with the zucchini.

7. Add a little olive oil to the pan and cook the onion. When the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic, decrease the temperature to 175°F (80°C), and add the cubed tomatoes. Turn gently in order to cook off the juices from the pan and then add into the casserole dish.

See an alternate ratatouille recipe here.

8. Mix all the vegetables in the casserole dish, and then season with salt, pepper, and herbs. (If you want to make this a one-dish meal, make a nest in the middle of the vegetables put in a piece of roasted meat.)

9. Put a lid on the casserole, and put it in the oven at 200°F (95°C) for 45 minutes.

10. Serve in the casserole dish. Enjoy!

Discover Provencal wines on a wine tour.

Our cooking vacations in Provence include hands-on cooking courses as well as visits to local food producers, providing guests with an in-depth experience into Provencal gastronomy.

Try a recipe for a classic French dessert: Pithivier!

Enjoy other vegetable-forward recipes:

• Fava puree with wild chicory
• Char-grilled vegetables

By Liz Hall

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