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Ratatouille

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Ratatouille

My favourite way to “eat the rainbow” and get a wide variety of colourful vegetables in one dish, this simple dish is one of my top picks for cooked vegetables. It’s great alongside any number of different protein options - pan roasted chicken breast, steak, roast lamb, meatloaf, grilled prawns…its versatile flavours make it an easy pairing with almost anything.

I credit one of my favourite Chef-Instructors back in culinary school, Chef Serge Devesa, for introducing me to the wonders of ratatouille, and how just a handful of humble ingredients, judicious use of just a few herbs and seasonings, and patience to let the flavours develop could produce something marvelous!

This high-fibre, nutrient dense but low calorie side dish is an excellent choice for On-Protocol weeks, but sacrifices no flavour and requires no changes vs. Maintenance / regular eating.

Ingredients (Makes 16 Servings)

  • 2 TBSP olive oil

  • 1/2 large onion (diced)

  • 1 eggplant (diced into 1 cm / 1/2 inch pieces)*

  • 2 medium zucchini (diced into 1 cm / 1/2 inch pieces)

  • 2 yellow, orange or red bell peppers (seeded and diced into 1 cm / 1/2 inch pieces)

  • 4 cloves of garlic (peeled and smashed)

  • 1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 sprig fresh rosemary)

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 sprig fresh thyme)

  • Optional: 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes

  • 400 ml / 14 fl.oz. crushed tomatoes

  • 2 bay leaves

  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

    *NOTE: I was taught in culinary school (and it is mentioned in many other recipes online) to generously pre-salt the diced eggplant and let it drain in a paper-towel-lined colander in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, ostensibly to draw out “bitterness” from the eggplant. I don’t find the eggplants we get locally to be bitter at all, and have noticed no difference in flavour from omitting this step. Feel free to try it if you like.

Simple, Stovetop Method

  1. In a large stockpot, sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the onions in the olive oil until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add the bell peppers, season lightly with sea salt, mix to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes

  3. Add the eggplant, season lightly with sea salt, mix to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes

  4. Add the zucchini and garlic, season lightly with sea salt, mix to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes

  5. Add all the dried herbs, mix to combine, then add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves (and fresh rosemary / thyme if using)

  6. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until it starts bubbling

  7. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover and simmer for at least 30-45 minutes (preferably 60-90 - the longer it goes, the more the flavours deepen and develop), stirring occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

  8. Remove the bay leaves and fresh herb sprigs (if using), adjust seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, then stir in the fresh basil just before serving.

Even Simpler, Oven-Finished Method

This method doesn’t require babysitting and stirring it to prevent burning on the bottom like the stovetop method, but sometimes you just don’t want to run your oven in the summer! I’ve also used indirect heat on my barbeque as an oven as a substitute. 😉

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C

  2. In a large stockpot, sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the onions in the olive oil until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add the bell peppers, season lightly with sea salt, mix to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes

  4. Add the eggplant, season lightly with sea salt, mix to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes

  5. Add the zucchini and garlic, season lightly with sea salt, mix to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes

  6. Add all the dried herbs, mix to combine, then add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves (and fresh rosemary / thyme if using)

  7. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until it starts bubbling

  8. Cover and transfer to the oven to finish cooking for at least 30-45 minutes (preferably 60-90 - the longer it goes, the more the flavours deepen and develop).

  9. Remove the bay leaves and fresh herb sprigs (if using), adjust seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, then stir in the fresh basil just before serving.

More Complex, But “Wow” Flavours Method

This method is more work, but pre-roasting the veg results in a killer extra flavour boost from the caramelization / browning. This is definitely worth trying at least once to see if the extra flavour is worth the effort for you, as the other methods do give delicious results - this just takes it to another level! I’ve also achieved similar results by pre-grilling the veg in larger pieces, then chopping them up before mixing in (again, usually in the summer when I don’t want to run the oven and will be finishing the ratatouille on the barbeque anyway… 😉

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F / 204 degrees C with three racks in place (if you don’t have three racks, you’ll need to roast in batches)

  2. Prepare three baking sheets with parchment paper

  3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the eggplant with 2 tsp olive oil and season liberally with sea salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet.

  4. In the same bowl, add the zucchini and another 1 tsp olive oil, toss and season liberally with sea salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet.

  5. In the same bowl, add the bell peppers and another 1 tsp olive oil, toss and season liberally with sea salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet.

  6. Place all baking sheets in the oven and roast the veg until they start to brown / caramelize a bit (time may vary for each veg, but somewhere around 15-30 minutes should work - check each individually and remove if they are cooked ahead of the other veg.)

  7. Once all the veg have been roasted, turn the oven down to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C.

  8. In a large stockpot, sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, with the remaining 2 tsp olive oil, sauté the onions until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

  9. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic becomes very fragrant but not at all browned.

  10. Add all the roasted veg and mix to combine.

  11. Add all the dried herbs, mix to combine, then add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves (and fresh rosemary / thyme if using)

  12. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until it starts bubbling

  13. Cover and transfer to the oven to finish cooking for at least 30-45 minutes (preferably 60-90 - the longer it goes, the more the flavours deepen and develop). Pre-roasting the veg gives this a deeper flavour to begin with, so it will likely need a bit less time than the other methods.

  14. Remove the bay leaves and fresh herb sprigs (if using), adjust seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, then stir in the fresh basil just before serving.

Nutritional Info

For the Full Recipe:

  • Calories: ~850 kcal

  • Protein: 25.5 grams (~102 calories, 12% of total calories)

  • Fat: 40 grams (~360 calories, 42% of total calories)

  • Total Carbohydrate: 96 grams

    • Fiber: 32 grams

    • Net Carbohydrate: 64 grams (~256 calories, 30% of total calories)

Per Approx. 100 ml / 0.4 cup Serving:

  • Calories: ~53 kcal

  • Protein: 1.6 grams (~6 calories, 12% of total calories)

    • Palm-Sized Portions of Protein: ~0.1 palm

  • Fat: 2.5 grams (~22.5 calories, 42% of total calories)

    • Thumb-Sized Portions of Fat: ~0.2 thumb

  • Alcohol: None

  • Total Carbohydrate: 6 grams

    • Fiber: 2 grams (Women under 50: 7-8% | Men under 50: 6-6.5% | Women over 50: 9% | Men over 50: 7%)

    • Net Carbohydrate: 4 grams (~16 calories, 30% of total calories)

      • Cupped-Palm Portions of Net Carbs: ~0.2 palm

  • Fist-Sized Portions of Non-Starchy Vegetables: ~1 per serving

This nutritional analysis is an estimate only, based on available knowledge regarding the nutritional content of the individual ingredients. Nutritional content of foods is HIGHLY variable, so you should always base your dietary intake on whether it meets your needs and progresses you towards your goals rather than any theoretical numbers on paper.

Notes and Options

  • I prefer NOT to use a pre-made Herbes de Provence mix as some recipes call for because many in North America include lavender, which does not, in my mind, belong in the dish. Therefore, the recipe calls for a few different dry / fresh herbs instead. One dried herb that is commonly in Herbes de Provence, savory, is pretty difficult to find on its own (at least in my local stores), so it has been omitted.

  • As with almost any stewed dish, ratatouille actually tastes BETTER as leftovers (or made ahead) after being refrigerated for a day or two, so don’t be afraid that you’ll lose flavour by prepping this ahead. The only thing I would suggest is to add fresh basil just as you are serving for the most herbaceous punch!