Vegetable ratatouille is a traditional dish of French cuisine, originally from Provence, loved for its simplicity, authentic taste and the beauty of its colors. Prepared with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and onion, all gently stewed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and scented with herbs such as thyme and basil, ratatouille is a celebration of seasonal vegetables.
Perfect as a side dish, light main course or rustic appetizer, it is ideal both hot and cold. Discover a wholesome recipe for homemade ratatouille that is healthy, fragrant and full of Mediterranean flavor.
1. Wash and dry all the vegetables carefully. Slice them into thin rounds about ½ cm thick.
2. Place the vegetables in a bowl and season with the Extra Virgin OliveOlive Oil , salt, pepper and parsley. Mix well.
3. Grease a pan with a drizzle of Extra Virgin OliveOlive Oil and arrange the slices in a circle, alternating the vegetables.
4. Add a cup of water and cook over medium heat with a lid for about 20 minutes.
5. Check the vegetables from time to time and add water if the bottom of the pan gets too dry.
6. When ready, serve the ratatouille by garnishing it with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Olive Oil and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.
Vegetable ratatouille: preparation tips
Ratatouille is nothing more than a mixture of fresh vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and peppers, which, however, must be chosen and prepared in the right way.
Tomatoes: we recommend you use coppery ones, also known as "bunched" tomatoes, which are flavorful and have firm flesh and are not likely to fall apart during cooking.
Eggplants: best suited for the purpose are the elongated ones, perfect for slicing. Remember to drain them first: cut them and arrange the slices a plate, sprinkle them with coarse salt, cover them with something heavy and let them rest at least 1 hour before using them.
Zucchini: For ratatouille, the classic "black zucchini," i.e., the dark green, fairly large, cylindrical zucchini found in all supermarkets, is fine; its tender flesh, with very few seeds, is well suited to the recipe.
Peppers: either red or yellow are fine; the important thing is to remove seeds and filaments inside them before cooking them.
Onions: again, both classic and red onions are fine. The latter are more delicate and digestible, so more suitable for those who do not like too strong flavors.
Ratatouille and Extra Virgin Olive Olive Oil : a perfect match!
Precisely because this is a simple and healthy dish made exclusively from fresh vegetables, it takes an equally wholesome condiment such as Extra Virgin OliveOlive Oil to flavor ratatouille, which is ideal in the kitchen because:
In raw form it gives an extra touch of flavor to any dish, without weighing it down. In cooking it holds up well to high temperatures, without "burning," and is very suitable for pan or casserole preparations. That said, Extra Virgin OliveOlive Oil is also very healthy:
Its "good" fats help regulate blood cholesterol levels and do not burden the liver.
The antioxidants inside fight free radicals, slowing cellular aging.
For the ratatouille recipe, we used Farchioni Organic Extra Virgin OliveOlive Oil , cold extracted exclusively from organically grown olives selected from the best growing areas. ThisOlive Oil is suitable for all uses in cooking and, by virtue of its delicacy, gives flavor to dishes without covering the flavor of other ingredients. Choose and purchase your favorite from our online store.
