Pro tip: Prep the vegetables up to 1 day in advance to make this recipe even easier, or prep the entire dish ahead for meal prep lunches or dinner.
If you’d like this dish in a fraction of the time, be sure to try my Instant Pot Ratatouille! It’s simmered on the stove top until tender and flavorful, so it takes a bit of time to cook. This ratatouille recipe is very easy to make and requires just a bit of prep chopping the vegetables.
Be sure to rinse the capers well before adding to the stew as the liquid can be overpowering. The capers add a tart, briny pop of flavor that really makes this ratatouille recipe special. The tomato paste adds a deep flavor and also thickens the stew, so I don’t recommend leaving it out. I highly recommend using fire roasted diced tomatoes for added flavor. I used canned diced tomatoes for this recipe, but you can substitute two large fresh tomatoes, if desired. I love the flavor of olive oil, but it may be substituted with what you have on hand. Fresh is best for this recipe, especially basil, but you may substitute dried if needed. Eggplant, bell peppers, squash, tomatoes and herbs are all found in traditional ratatouille recipes. If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Socca Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto.Wondering what to serve with ratatouille? The options are endless! We love serving it over our Easy Vegan Polenta or Easy Gluten-Free Pasta, but it’s also delicious served alongside The Best Vegan Grilled Cheese or with a hearty piece of Easy Homemade Wheat Bread. It could also be served over cauliflower rice, rice, quinoa, millet, or your favorite grains! More 1-Pot Summer Recipes It’s the perfect recipe for weeknights or for celebrating an overflowing garden of summer veggies (we see you, zucchini!). Additional salt and pepper provide even more flavor, while optional red pepper flakes add subtle heat and thyme provides more herbal notes.įor the tomato element, we opted for canned diced tomatoes for simplicity and bold tomato flavor!Īfter another quick 10 minutes of cooking, the vegetables become melt-in-your-mouth tender.Īnd lastly, we like to finish it off with additional basil for freshness and a swirl of good-quality olive oil for richness. Next, we add the eggplant back in along with a duo of herby goodness: fresh basil and dried oregano. We then set the eggplant aside to give the zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and garlic a chance to cook without being overcrowded in the pan. This ratatouille begins with cooking cubed eggplant in a pot with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to allow it to release moisture and soak up flavor. The following is an inspired version made with simple methods, accessible ingredients, and bold flavor. And while dishes called “ratatouille” date back to the 18th century, a dish resembling the ingredients mentioned above didn’t make it into cookbooks until around 1930. It’s commonly made with onion, garlic, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, and leafy herbs. Ratatouille is a stewed vegetable dish that originated in Nice, France. But first, what is ratatouille and where did it come from?