Ratatouille

1 hour 30 mins cooking time
The colours! The pattern! The flavours! This, cook, is your symphony of traditional flavours and bright colours paired in a timeless, easy buttery ratatouille recipe. Revel in its richness of seasonal vegetables and hearty tomato sauce flavoured with herbs and garlic. A rustic and simple niche of French cuisine.
Ratatouille Ratatouille

Ratatouille

  • 1 hour preparation time
  • 1 hour 30 mins cooking time
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The colours! The pattern! The flavours! This, cook, is your symphony of traditional flavours and bright colours paired in a timeless, easy buttery ratatouille recipe. Revel in its richness of seasonal vegetables and hearty tomato sauce flavoured with herbs and garlic. A rustic and simple niche of French cuisine.
The colours! The pattern! The flavours! This, cook, is your symphony of traditional flavours and bright colours paired in a timeless, easy buttery ratatouille recipe. Revel in its richness of seasonal vegetables and hearty tomato sauce flavoured with herbs and garlic. A rustic and simple niche of French cuisine.

Method

1
Start by making the tomato sauce. Chop the onion and garlic and sauté in butter in a saucepan with thyme. Add tomato puree and mix well, then add the canned tomato and honey, and mix well. Lower the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
TIP
In our butter ratatouille recipe, it is no secret that butter plays an important role. To get the most out of its flavour, be mindful not to burn it by leaving it for too long to brown or by melting it over too high heat. When sautéing onions and garlic for the tomato ratatouille sauce, cook them gently until soft and translucent, being careful with the heat. If it is too high, the butter might burn, giving the sauce a bitter taste. If done correctly, the butter will help bring out the sweet flavour of the onions.
2
While the sauce is simmering, prepare the vegetables. Peel red onions and cut all vegetables into disc shaped slices of about half a centimetre.
3
Preheat the oven to 200C fan/gas mark 6.
4
Pour the tomato sauce into an oven-proof pan about 30 centimetres in diameter and place the sliced vegetables in a spiral circle pattern, starting at the outer edge, and working your way into the middle. Make sure to alternate the vegetables and that the slices overlap.
5
Brush the top with melted butter, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped thyme. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
TIP
The same goes for melting the butter to brush on top of the vegetables before baking. This step, makes this butter ratatouille truly stand out, helps keep the dish moist in the oven, enriches the flavour of the vegetables as well as adding a glossy finish. Melt the butter carefully in a small pan, watching closely to ensure it does not burn.
6
Serve right away topped with fresh basil.

Questions about ratatouille

Curious to know more about this popular French dish? Then continue reading some of the most frequently asked questions about ratatouille.

  • Ratatouille is a traditional French dish from the Provence region. Initially, it was farmers trying not to waste food, throwing all seasonal surplus vegetables together to create a hearty and filling stew. The name comes from the French word 'touiller', meaning 'to stir up', describing the simplicity of the dish. Today, it is known worldwide as a beautiful, colourful, oven-baked dish, appreciated for its versatility as you can always use whatever vegetables you have left in your fridge. It is often flavoured with garlic and fresh herbs mixed in a rich tomato sauce.

  • Ratatouille is quite simple as you only need to rustle up the tomato sauce and slice the vegetables. Make the tomato sauce by sautéing onion and garlic in butter, add thyme and tomato puree as well as canned tomatoes and honey and let simmer for 20 minutes. Then pour the sauce into an oven-proof pan and preheat the oven. Cut the vegetables into half-centimetre disc shaped slices. Arrange the vegetable slices in a pattern so they overlap in the pan, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme, and bake for 30 minutes.

  • It is delicious on its own, but you can easily serve ratatouille with various side and main dishes. Pair it with grilled meat or fish, serve it on top of pasta or rice, or alongside a slice of bread. The bread is perfect for soaking up leftover tomato sauce, but you can also dip it and scoop up slices of vegetables. Or serve it as a standalone meal, enjoying the savoury tomato sauce and vegetables on their own.

  • Ratatouille has a rich and savoury taste with notes of garlic and fresh thyme covered in a sweet yet tangy tomato sauce. The tomatoes balance the earthy taste of aubergine, courgette, and bell pepper, creating a well-balanced dish. Enjoy a symphony of sweet, acidic, and savoury flavours with a pungent, sharp kick from garlic and onion as well as fragrant, earthy, and herbal notes from thyme and basil.

  • Ratatouille can keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. And the best thing is that it often gets better after a day or two in the fridge since the flavours from the ratatouille ingredients have time to meld together. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container.

  • If you want to store ratatouille for longer than 5 days in the fridge, you can easily freeze it. Make sure it cools completely, then portion it into freezer-safe bags or containers. It is best to thaw, reheat, and savour the leftovers within 2-3 months to ensure the best possible taste and consistency. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven.

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Serve traditional butter ratatouille with fresh, flavourful ingredients

Traditional recipes are timeless, and that is for a reason. They endure through time because they offer comfort in all their simplicity and universality. And our traditional butter ratatouille recipe is no different. It carries traditions from one generation to the next. Using any in-season vegetables or maybe even the cook's favourite vegetables, it associates every family and cook with fond memories and nostalgia of family dinners.

The trick, as always, cook, is to use the freshest ingredients to get most flavour. Fresh vegetables will hold their shape better, infuse the dish with a maximum delicious flavour, and bring the brightest of colours. They will create a dish bursting with flavours, colours, and, of course, a delicious texture of thinly sliced, perfectly cooked, fresh vegetables and smooth velvety tomato sauce.

Greatness comes with butter in even the simplest of recipes

Ratatouille is widely associated with the countryside and farmer's cuisine because of its roots in the countryside regions of Southern France with their rustic charm and fresh, seasonal produce. But the most simple and rustic recipe rooted in farmers’ traditions is made even greater with the addition of another simple yet delicious ingredient: butter. Butter ratatouille is the perfect example of creating greatness from a few simple ingredients, taking an easy dish with few ingredients and making it so much more. Brush with melted butter, bake, and watch the butter transform the dish into something special.

Layered in bright colours on a bed of vibrant red, savoury tomato sauce, and brushed with butter, this butter ratatouille recipe is a testament to a timeless classic known for delicious flavours wrapped in heartwarming simplicity.

Savoury vegetable ratatouille with butter and tomato sauce

Our butter ratatouille has everything you need for dinner. It is savoury, filled with colourful vegetables, and baked in homemade tomato sauce with herbs, onion, and garlic. Each vegetable adds something extra, something filled with flavour, giving you a balanced and complex dish. By brushing with melted butter before baking, you add a shiny touch as well as extra flavour, and it keeps the dish warm, giving you a ratatouille with butter that is better than what you might have tasted before. And with its colours and different flavours, especially from the classic tomato sauce, it will be a hit with the whole family.

How to serve ratatouille for dinner

The easy way to serve this French classic is as a standalone dish. It is more than capable of carrying a meal by itself with its savoury tomato sauce and various vegetables. If you prefer something on the side, you can serve it with crusty bread, for example, wholemeal bread or sourdough bread, both carrying a lot of flavour and texture. Or you can serve it on top of rice or pasta or with grilled meat or fish on the side. Everything that will benefit from a tasty, buttery, tomato-infused layer of goodness will be delicious with this ratatouille recipe.

Why not serve the butter ratatouille with our buttery pan-fried sea bass. It is a classic pairing, the natural sweetness of the fish harmoniously matches the savoury ratatouille, especially its tomato sauce. Here is another idea: serve it on top of pasta. Try our sage and butter pasta that will create the perfect base. Top the pasta dish with a generous serving of ratatouille, letting the tomato sauce and savoury vegetables soak into the pasta's butter and parmesan cheese base.

Add your own touch to this traditional French dish

As delicious as it is in its simplicity, you can always shake things up and do something new with our recipe for ratatouille. You can consider adding other vegetables such as sliced mushrooms for a touch of umami flavour, spinach for a touch of green, and even, for a sweet touch, thinly sliced sweet potato.

Chickpeas or white beans are also delicious mixed with tomato sauce. And, for a bit of heat, consider adding fresh or dried chilli, smoked paprika or red pepper flakes. To balance it out and add a salty touch, crumble some feta cheese, salad cheese, or goat cheese on top before baking.

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