“Anyone can cook” is the favorite saying of Gusteau in the famous film, Ratatouille. The name itself is a popular French vegetable stew. So what does ratatouille taste like?
Short answer: Ratatouille has a versatile delicious flavor – the sweetness, the sourness, and the little kick of spiciness are just what makes it quite unique compared to your other regular stews. The dish is strongly driven by the slow cooking of tomato which naturally brings out the flavor of the different mixed vegetables.
The animated movie presented the dish so beautifully that it made tons of people want to try and make it in their homes. So, if you are one of those people, then this article is for you!
In this post, these are the main points that we are going to dissect for you:
- What is ratatouille?
- What does ratatouille taste like?
- How to prepare ratatouille?
- What is the secret to a good-tasting ratatouille?
- How nutritious is ratatouille?
What Is Ratatouille?
What does the word Ratatouille really mean?
The word “Ratatouille” comes from the Occitan ratatolha, linked to the French ratouiller and tatouille, both of which are the expressive term of the French word “touiller,” which means “toss food.”
Ratatouille is a famous pure vegetable dish that originated in the city called Nice in France.
This summer vegetable stew started as a poor man’s meal and now is one of the most famous dishes in France.
The main ingredients of a ratatouille dish include olive oil, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant.
It also contains fresh herbs and spices such as onions, garlic, basil, and thyme.
All of these ingredients are tossed in a recipe inappropriate measures.
Fun fact: Ratatouille is a versatile dish! It can be a great appetizer, side dish, or main course. Additionally, you can serve this dish warm, cold, or at room temperature.
How To Prepare Ratatouille?
You will need an oven to cook ratatouille.
In summary, you will need to roast all of the veggies on baking sheets and smother it with olive oil.
Then, all the ingredients are combined in one skillet and have it covered with additional oil and tomato.
You will need to cook it until everything condenses in taste and virtually comes apart.
Anyway, here’s what you need to do to make a delicious ratatouille dish.
Follow the ingredients and procedures below.
Ingredients
- 1 (6 ounces) can of tomato paste
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 small eggplant, trimmed and very thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, trimmed and very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced garlic
- 1 yellow squash, trimmed and very thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
- ¾ cup of water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
Procedure
Step 1
First, the oven should be preheated to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C.
Step 2
Then, fill a 10×10-inch baking dish halfway with tomato paste.
Thoroughly mix by stirring 1 tablespoon of olive oil and water, then sprinkle with onion and garlic—season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 3
Third, alternate slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper, beginning at the outer perimeter of the plate and working concentrically towards the center.
Make sure to overlap the slices slightly to show off the colors.
Drizzle the veggies with three tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.
Lastly, sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover the veggies with a piece of parchment paper trimmed to fit inside.
Step 4
Fourth, bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the veggies are roasted and soft. Serve with mascarpone cheese dollops.
What Is The Secret To A Good Ratatouille?
Remember. ripe vegetables are the key to a good ratatouille, along with generous use of olive oil and patience! (*)
The lengthy, slow cooking of the dish results in a velvety soft vegetable and a deep, creamy sauce that melts in your mouth.
We recommend that you serve your ratatouille while it is still fresh and hot.
However, due to the time spent soaking in olive oil, the ratatouille dish is one of the few vegetable meals that improves with age.
Thus, we suggest that you should make it ahead of time.
Plus, you can be creative with how you make it!
How? Just by roasting the veggies in stages as time allows, then mixing them all days later.
How Nutritious Is Ratatouille?
The ratatouille dish is low in cholesterol and sodium.
In fact, it is a rich source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, and potassium.
Furthermore, it contains an excellent source of vitamin A, C, K, and manganese.
After all, ratatouille mainly consists of a variety of vegetables!
Tip: Ratatouille usually a low-fat dish as the only source of fat it contains is just oil. If you eliminate the olive oil from your ratatouille recipe, this will give you a fat-free preparation!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I make Ratatouille ahead of time?
Ratatouille is a dish that requires patience and time to prepare.
However, this dish tastes even better the day after being made, so it is best to plan.
In other words, ratatouille is an excellent make-ahead dish for certain gatherings.
Plus, you may refrigerate it for up to 5 days, then gently reheat or thaw it to room temperature before serving.
2. What meat goes with Ratatouille?
Ratatouille goes best with pork, lamb, beef, and chicken in most cases.
Apparently, it also goes well with other meat such as lamb and veal.
They may either be roasted or fried, depending on the preference of the person.
Furthermore, some may even prefer to partner it with scrambled eggs!
3. What Does Ratatouille Go With?
Since Ratatouille is an all-vegetable dish, it certainly goes well with protein food such as pork, lamb, beef, and chicken.
Not only that, but this also goes well with plain or mixed rice, noodles, and bread!
Interestingly, ratatouille can also go with other vegetable dishes such as salads.
4. Can Ratatouille be the main dish?
Yes!
Since Ratatouille is a versatile or adaptable dish, it can be served as the main dish, a side dish, or even a salad.
Tasty on its own or with a range of different dishes such as beef flank, filet, or steak are all delicious juicy possibilities.
In particular, ratatouille goes nicely with pork chops or tenderloin.
Final Thoughts
To sum it all up, ratatouille is one of the most famous all-vegetable dishes in France.
The ingredients involved are olive oil, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and fresh herbs and spices such as onions, garlic, basil, and thyme.
Ratatouille is versatile as it can be a main dish, side dish, or even an appetizer.
This dish goes well with other meals such as pork chops and beefsteak.
Furthermore, this is one of the few dishes that would taste even better when served the day after or a few days after it is made.
As this dish requires a lot of patience, it goes with a beautiful and delicious outcome that is surely worth your time and effort.
