Royalty Fast Food

Best Ratatouille, Ratatouille is a fun-to-say and fun-to-make end-of-summer French stew. Tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper are among the fresh ingredients.

We tried true French ratatouille in Provence this summer. Some ratatouilles appealed to me more than others.

Ratatouille is traditionally prepared on the stove in Provence. Each veggie is cooked until it is soft in olive oil. All of the ingredients are blended and simmered in the end to blend the flavors.

Ratatouille is a dish that includes a large number of late-summer vegetables with varying cooking durations. If you threw everything into a pot at the same time, none of the vegetables would caramelize, the eggplant would fall apart by the time the zucchini was cooked, and your ratatouille would never reach its full potential.

Ingredients For Best Ratatouille

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 yellow bell peppers, diced into 1/2-inch pieces 
• 1 large yellow onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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• 1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds), diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large zucchini( MaRoo Kaddoo) (1 pound), diced into 1/2-inch pieces 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon) 
• 3 tbsp tomato paste 
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional 
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for serving 
• 6 large fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for serving 

Directions For Best Ratatouille

• In a medium saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Cook, turning frequently until the onions are translucent and the bell peppers have softened somewhat, about 10 minutes, with the bell peppers, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Add the eggplant, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, or until the eggplant is very soft. Continue to simmer, turning frequently, until the zucchini begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
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• If using, add the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the zucchini has softened.
• Stir in the tomatoes, reduce the heat to low, and cover the saucepan. Cook, stirring periodically, for about 10 minutes, or until the ratatouille has thickened to a stew-like consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste before adding the parsley and basil.
• Before serving, spoon into a bowl and top with additional fresh parsley and basil.