Awhile ago after a particularly bountiful trip to the farmer's market, I had some zucchini and eggplant that I needed to use. My parents used to make ratatouille when we were growing up, and it was one of my favorite dishes, mainly because I got to use parmigiana to excess on top of the dish. Luckily, I've matured a lot since then and rarely go overboard with cheese usage.
I made this a few weeks ago after Jay and I spent many hours on a kayaking excursion that left me wondering why I'd agreed to go, if my arm muscles would ever work again, and whether or not Jay would leave me for being supremely unathletic. We were tired and cold and wanted something cozy and comforting but healthy, and this is what we came up with!
I'm happy to report that my arms are still doing well at typing sarcastic things and Jay hasn't wised up yet. I still have no clue why I agreed to go.
Vegetarian Ratatouille
If this is missing, you know, most of the standard ratatouille ingredients, apologies. It has some vegetables and tomatoes, and I like it this way.
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1/2 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig or 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 cup diced tomatoes in their juices
- 1/2 cup white wine
- chicken stock
- salt
- sugar
- crushed red pepper
- rice, bread, or pasta, for serving
- capers, for serving
- parmesan, for serving
There's only a half zucchini in this picture, but I would have used more if I'd had it! First, dice the eggplant, and zucchini into 1/2-ish inch cubes and saute them with 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (more if you can handle it!), a sprinkle of salt, and 1 tablespoon olive or other cooking oil.
Let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes until they start to brown on all sides, then finely dice and add in the onion.
Stir to combine. Meanwhile, chop up the rosemary and garlic.
When the onion has turned translucent and is soft, add the garlic and rosemary. Stir for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant.
When the garlic and rosemary have started to cook but aren't brown, add the white wine and continue to stir until half the wine has evaporated.
Then, add in the tomatoes and 1/2 to 1 (your preference) teaspoon of sugar and another sprinkle of salt. Continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding chicken stock as needed to make the sauce the right amount and consistency, depending on how you like things. I added about 1/2 cup of stock and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes, but I would have let it go longer if I'd had more time!
And that's it! I serve this with hot cooked white rice and bread, but pasta would be great too. Serve some chicken along with it, and set out capers, crushed red pepper, and parmesan cheese for toppings. Enjoy!
Now that's ratatouille. Not like the one in the Disney film. That looked too poncy.
I hope you enjoy it! We lived in France when I was little and my dad used to make it just like this. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
I love ratatouille, and whenever I have eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and so on, I like to make it. But if you want a truly vegetarian dish, then I recommend that you use vegetable stock. Try it sometime. You can use the water from cooking your vegetables, from cooking down fresh vegetables, or in cubes, powder or liquid from a carton. This way true vegetarians will enjoy it, as well.
All the best in your cooking adventures.
You're absolutely right! I use chicken stock because its what I have on hand most times, but vegetable would be equally delicious and keep the dish truly vegetation. Thanks for reading!