Ratatouille Recipe With Eggplant

Ratatouille is a vegetarian stand-alone dish or a flavorful sidekick to a beef or game main course. Its roots trace back to Provence in the south of France, where it's essentially a comfort food. Here on Food Republic, it's an excellent chance to try out that herbes de Provence mixture we encouraged you to make in our Guide To Herbs.

Advanced cooks: What do you like to add to your ratatouille for that personal signature touch? Let us know in the comments.

Ratatouille Recipe With Eggplant
No Ratings
Prep Time
40
minutes
Cook Time
1
hour
Servings
8
to 10 side servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds eggplant
  • 2 1/2 pounds tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 pounds yellow onions
  • 1 1/2 pounds bell pepper
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup (approximately) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons herbs de Provence
  • 1 pound zucchini
  • 1 pound yellow squash
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Directions
  1. Toss eggplant in 1/2 teaspoon salt and place in a colander. Let stand in the sink for 30 minutes. Pour eggplant onto several paper towels and blot to remove excess moisture.
  2. In a heavy-bottomed, 5-quart pot over medium heat, add onions and approximately 4 tablespoons of oil. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for about 4 minutes until onions are soft, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add peppers and cook for another 4-8 minutes, adding enough oil to keep mixture quite moist. Add garlic, cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Add tomatoes, herbs de Provence* and about a 1/3 cup oil. Cover partially to allow steam to escape. Cook for 30 minutes until tomato starts to break down, stirring occasionally.
  5. Put eggplant into simmering mixture along with enough remaining oil so vegetables are quite moist, but not swimming. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Place zucchini and yellow squash in mixture and cook until they are just soft, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Add pepper. Check seasoning.
  7. May be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. Improves when refrigerated overnight and reheated.
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