Julia Child’s Ratatouille is a dish originally made from eggplant, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper. This dish is the perfect way to show off your culinary skills, and impress your dinner guests with a delicious and beautiful meal.
The vegetables are peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces before being sautéed with olive oil for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Then tomato paste is added to the mixture, giving it its red color.
The vegetables are then simmered for about thirty minutes before you season them with salt and pepper to taste. Pour tomato mixture at the bottom, followed by cooked zucchini and eggplant. Cover the casserole and cook until the juices evaporate.
Adding a small amount of honey to the recipe at the end before serving would be the best way to enhance its flavor.
It will allow the honey not to lose its nutrients during the long cooking process, and you can mix it in homogeneously before serving.
If you’re looking for a delicious, hearty dish to make this winter, look no further than Julia Child’s Ratatouille. This dish is sure to please even the most finicky eaters!
What's In The Post
What Equipment Will You Need To Make Julia Child’s Ratatouille?
- Skillet – Cook and boil veggies in a skillet until they are soft, tender and slightly brown.
- Casserole Dish – A casserole will be used as a serving vessel which can be used to make this hearty dish.
- Mixing Bowl – Toss the chopped veggies with one teaspoon of salt and set them aside to avoid stickiness.
- Knife – Chop the veggies like eggplant, zucchini, yellow onions, and red tomatoes into slices for easy cooking.
- Chopping Board – Chop the veggies on a chopping board into slices for easy cutting.
- Spatula – Toss the ingredients well with a flat-surfaced spatula.
- Paper Towel – Drain each slice of the veggies with a towel to drain off the excess fat.
How Much Time Will You Need To Make Julia Child’s Ratatouille?
| Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 50 Minutes | 1 Hour 20 Minutes | 2 Hours 10 Minutes |
What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Julia Child’s Ratatouille?
- Eggplant – Eggplant, once cooked, will become milder and a bit richer and give a soft, creamy texture.
- Zucchini – Zucchini, when cooked, will add a mild flavor, sweet and bitter, with a rich feel.
- Yellow Onions – Thinly slice and cook yellow onions for a strong but mild flavor. They will offer a bit of sweetness to the recipe, caramelize nicely, and hold up well when cooked.
- Red Tomatoes – Peel and squeeze the juice from the tomatoes, delivering a classic tomato taste with plenty of juiciness.
- Olive Oil – Cook the veggies in olive oil until brown and tender.
- Garlic – Mash the garlic cloves to add intense flavor to the recipe.
- Salt – Add salt to enhance the flavor of the ingredients mixed in the recipe.
- Black Pepper – Black pepper will add a spicy, earthy, hot, woody and distinct flavor to this recipe.
- Green Peppers – Slice and cook green peppers in olive oil for a crunchy bite and a slightly sweet taste.
- Parsley – Mince the parsley for a clean and slightly peppery taste.
Steps To Make Julia Child’s Ratatouille
1. Chopping Of The Greens
Peel and cut the eggplant into lengthwise slices. Scrub the zucchini and cut it into pieces. Now slice green peppers removing its stem, thinly slice yellow onions and keep them aside.
Take ripe and firm red tomatoes, remove the seeds and squeeze them to draw juice from them.
2. Cooking Trend
Toss the chopped veggies with one teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Set them aside for 30 minutes. Now drain each slice of the veggies with a towel.
In a skillet with four tablespoons of olive oil, sauté the zucchini and eggplant until the vegetables are slightly browned.
In the same skillet, cook sliced pepper and chopped onions in olive oil for 10 minutes until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and season it with salt and pepper.
Take the tomatoes and slice their pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Layer the seeded tomatoes over cooked pepper and onions, and sprinkle salt and pepper as per your taste.
Cover the skillet and let the veggies cook and boil for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes finish their juice.
3. Cooking The Casserole
In a casserole, put 1/3 part of the tomato mixture into it. Sprinkle freshly minced parsley over the top. Arrange half of the cooked zucchini and eggplant and layer the casserole with the remaining tomatoes, veggies, and parsley.
Cover the casserole, put it on low heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Cook until all the juices evaporate. Avoid the vegetables getting scorched at the bottom of the casserole.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 635 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 26 g |
| Protein | 40 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 194 mg |
| Sodium | 487 mg |
| Potassium | 1220 mg |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Vitamin A | 10509 iu |
| Vitamin C | 14 mg |
| Calcium | 90 mg |
| Iron | 3 mg |
How Will Julia Child’s Ratatouille Look And Taste Like?
There are few dishes as simple yet as flavorful as Ratatouille. Julia Child’s recipe is the perfect balance of savory and sweet, and it’s sure to become a family favorite. The result is a dish packed with flavor and perfect for a summer meal. Serve Ratatouille with some crusty bread and enjoy!
Recipe Card
Julia Child’s Ratatouille Recipe
Equipment
- Skillet
- Casserole Dish
- Mixing Bowl
- Knife
- Chopping Board
- Spatula
- Paper Towel
Ingredients
- 1 lb Eggplant
- 1 lb Zucchini
- 1½ cups Yellow Onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup Green Peppers (sliced)
- 1 lb Red Tomatoes (Ripe, firm, seeded, peeled, and juiced!)
- 6 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic (Mashed)
- 3 tablespoons Parsley (Minced)
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Peel and cut the eggplant into lengthwise slices. Scrub the zucchini and cut it into pieces. Now slice green peppers and yellow onions and keep them aside.
- Take ripe and firm red tomatoes, remove the seeds and squeeze them to draw juice from them.
- Toss the chopped veggies in a bowl with one teaspoon of salt. Set them aside for 30 minutes.
- In a skillet, sauté zucchini and eggplant until the vegetables are slightly browned.
- Cook sliced pepper and chopped onions in olive oil for 10 minutes until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and sprinkle salt and pepper as per your taste.
- Take the tomatoes and slice their pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Layer the tomatoes over cooked pepper and onions, and season them with salt and pepper.
- Cover the skillet and let the veggies cook and boil until the tomatoes finish their juice.
- Take a casserole and add 1/3 of the tomato mixture. Sprinkle it with freshly minced parsley.
- Put half of the cooked zucchini and eggplant on top—layer the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
- Put in the remaining veggies, and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
- Cover the casserole, put it on low heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Cook until all the juices evaporate. Avoid the vegetables getting scorched at the bottom of the casserole.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What can I substitute for eggplant in Ratatouille?
You can use carrots instead of eggplant. As you cook longer, they will become sweet. For onions, this is a sweet yellow onion.
What meat is good with Ratatouille?
We recommend steak and pork chops go wonderfully with Ratatouille. But no meat tastes better in this recipe than the seasoned leg of lamb.Â
Why does Ratatouille taste so good?
Ratatouille consists of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs cooked in olive oil until soft or browned slightly. The dish is sweet with yellow onion and tomato juices mixed with a peppery flavor due to black pepper.
Can we eat Ratatouille over rice?
If you are serving Ratatouille as the main course, we recommend serving it over a cooked grain, such as rice, quinoa, or pasta. You can also serve the leftovers as a pizza topping.
Conclusion
Julia Child’s Ratatouille is a classic dish perfect for a summer meal. It is easy to make and serve with a green salad or crusty bread for a complete meal.
