Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 200 g zucchini, diced into 1.5cm cubes
- 200 g yellow squash, diced into 1.5cm cubes
- 200 g eggplant, diced into 1.5cm cubes
- 150 g red bell pepper, diced
- 150 g yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic, minced
Base & Aromatics
- 400 g diced tomatoes, canned, with juices
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g tomato paste
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves picked from stems
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Finishing
- 10 g fresh basil, roughly torn
- 15 ml red wine vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 187 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 506 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 743 mg
- Calcium
- 45 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 54 mg
- Phosphorus
- 104 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 81 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 79 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 38 mcg
- Water
- 128 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, dice the zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant into uniform 1.5cm cubes to ensure even cooking.
Heat 30ml of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped yellow onion and diced red bell pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent and softened.
Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and becomes fragrant.
Add the remaining 15ml of olive oil to the pan along with the diced zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant. Cook, tossing frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften slightly.
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, fresh thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let it cook until all vegetables are tender but not mushy.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the red wine vinegar and torn fresh basil just before serving to preserve their bright flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- Sautéing the tomato paste before adding the liquids helps caramelize its sugars, removing any raw, tinny flavor and deepening the stew's complexity.
- For the best texture in a quick ratatouille, cut your vegetables into uniform sizes so they cook at exactly the same rate.
- Ratatouille is famously better the next day. Consider making this ahead of time to allow the flavors to meld and deepen perfectly in the refrigerator.
- Tearing basil rather than chopping it with a knife prevents the edges from bruising and turning black, preserving its bright green color and fresh aroma.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors will deepen significantly overnight.
Freezer: 3 months — Vegetables will soften further upon thawing, making it better suited as a pasta sauce if frozen.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through, or microwave in 1-minute bursts.
Troubleshooting
Vegetables are mushy and have lost their shape
Cause: Overcooking or dicing the vegetables too small
Fix: Cannot be restored to chunks, but can be puréed in a blender to make an excellent pasta sauce or soup base
Prevention: Dice vegetables uniformly to at least 1.5cm pieces and avoid simmering for longer than 15-20 minutes
Stew tastes flat or overly sweet
Cause: Under-seasoning or lack of acidity
Fix: Stir in an extra splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice, and add salt to taste
Prevention: Use the full amount of recommended salt and high-quality tomatoes
Cultural Context
Originating in Nice, France, ratatouille was originally considered a humble peasant dish created by farmers to use up the abundant end-of-summer vegetable harvest. While the most traditional, time-consuming methods involve cooking each vegetable separately before combining them, this one-pot method delivers the rustic, comforting essence of Provence in a fraction of the time.
