Ratatouille Niçoise is a delicious and vibrant French vegetable dish from the Provence region. This healthy, rustic dish is made with a blend of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, and tomatoes, slowly cooked with fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme. It can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature as a side dish or appetizer.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time3 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Total Time3 hourshrs50 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Ratatouille Niçoise
Servings: 10
Calories: 180kcal
Ingredients
1mediumeggplant
Salt and Pepper, to taste
16largefresh basil leaves
2mediumzucchinis
2mediumred peppers
2mediumgreen peppers
2mediumonions
1head of garlic
4mediumripe tomatoes
4tablespoonstomato paste
0.5cupolive oil,extra virgin
3sprigs fresh thyme,leaves chopped
4sprigs fresh rosemary,leave chopped
2sprig of thyme per guest
Basil coulis,to garnish
Pepper,to garnish
Balsamic reduction
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables: Cut the eggplant in ½ inch squares. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon rock salt and mix. Drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Cut the red and green pepper in ½ inch squares and set aside. Cut the zucchini in ½ inch squares and set aside. Cut the onion, the same size as the rest of the vegetables. Remove the core and dice the tomatoes. Chop the basil. Separate rosemary and thyme leaves from stems. Chop finely and set aside with the basil. Peel, cut in half and removed the germs of 12 garlic cloves. Chop finely and set aside.
Sauté on high heat: In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the vegetables, salt and pepper on high. Cook until they become golden brown and then drain in a colander. (Use 2 tablespoon of olive oil for the eggplant). In a large saucepan, place a one-inch layer of vegetables. Then sprinkle with a thin layer of basil, thyme, and rosemary. Follow with some chopped garlic. Add the tomato paste. Then repeat these steps until you use all the ingredients.
Cook the ratatouille: Place in the oven, with a lid on and cook for 3 hours at 325°F. Stir occasionally. A good ratatouille does not look nice. The vegetables should be overcooked but the flavor will "explode" out of the pot.
How to plate: Place a small ring in the center of a plate. Fill it with hot or cold strain ratatouille. Remove the ring slowly. Garnish around with basil coulis, balsamic reduction, pepper and fresh thyme. Repeat the same steps for all the guests plates.