Ratatouille (French Provencal Vegetable Traybake)

About This Recipe

Ratatouille comes from Provence in southern France, traditionally a stewed medley of summer vegetables, though this baked version arranges the vegetables in overlapping slices for a more visually striking, slightly firmer result. Each vegetable is sliced thin and arranged over a base of onion and tomato sauce seasoned with herbes de Provence, then baked slowly so the vegetables soften and release their juices into the sauce beneath without turning to mush. The long, gentle bake is essential — rushing it at high heat leaves the eggplant tough and undercooked, while the right combination of time and moderate heat allows every vegetable to become tender while still holding a distinct shape on the plate.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1eggplant(thinly sliced)
• 2zucchini(thinly sliced)
• 1yellow squash(thinly sliced)
• 2tomatoes(thinly sliced)
• 1red bell pepper(diced, for the tomato layer)
• 1onion(diced, for the tomato layer)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 400 gcrushed tomatoes(for the simmered tomato layer)
• 2 tspherbes de Provence
• 1/4 cupolive oil(divided)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the sauce base

   Cook onion and red bell pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft, add garlic, then stir in crushed tomatoes, half the herbes de Provence, salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes and spread in a baking dish.

2. 2

   Slice the vegetables

   Slice eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes into thin, even rounds.

3. 3

   Arrange

   Arrange the sliced vegetables in overlapping rows or a spiral pattern over the sauce base.

   Slicing all the vegetables to a similar thickness ensures they cook at the same rate and look uniform once baked.

4. 4

   Season and oil

   Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle with the remaining herbes de Provence and a little salt.

5. 5

   Bake

   Cover with foil and bake at 180C/350F for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake 15-20 more minutes until the vegetables are fully tender and lightly browned at the edges.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let rest 10 minutes before serving, either as a main course with crusty bread or as a side to roasted meat.

Variations

• •

  A traditional stewed version simply cooks all the vegetables together in one pot rather than arranging them decoratively.

• •

  Adding a few anchovy fillets to the base sauce gives extra savory depth, a technique some Provencal cooks use.

• •

  Serve with a poached egg on top for a light vegetarian main course.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container; ratatouille often tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld, and it also freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions