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RATATOUILLE IS THE ULTIMATE SUMMERTIME DISH. This recipe is simple and has many layers of excellent flavors. It’s made by sautéing eggplant, zucchini, and peppers with onion and garlic before cooking in a homemade tomato sauce. All of the ingredients are combined and cooked together in just one pot. Topped with poached eggs and fresh spinach and then paired with a side of your favorite bread to soak up the fantastic sauce. This dish is ideal for a satisfying, delicious breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. This ratatouille in a skillet is suitable for any diet. This dish is dairy-free, vegan (leave out the eggs), vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, and Whole30.

Ratatouille with Poached Eggs

I have made this ratatouille recipe several times, and it keeps getting better and better. It’s a fantastic make-ahead dish. The next day, it tastes better after the flavors have had time to mingle! Ratatouille transforms ordinary veggies into works of art. Even if you’re not a fan of eggplant or summer squash, I’m confident you’ll appreciate this ratatouille. I was surprised when I first had ratatouille; I’m not a big fan of eggplant, but this is delicious. If you simply can’t eat eggplant, just substitute extra zucchini for the eggplant.

Do you have a vegetable garden in your backyard? Have you considered what you'll do with all those ready-to-pick fresh produce? Well, consider Ratatouille.

Ratatouille Recipe

What Is Ratatouille?

Ratatouille is a summer vegetable stew that originated from Nice as a French Provencal dish. There are so, so many ways to make ratatouille. Some people prefer to cut their veggies into even equal sizes, while others are at ease.

TIPS:

One tip I will offer you is to saute each vegetable one at a time, as each has a different cook time.
Also, you want to give them a chance to caramelize. Then, you can combine those veggies to simmer in tomato sauce on the stovetop.

Questions:

How long can you keep the ratatouille in the fridge?

My recommendation is to exclude the eggs. Once the Ratatouille is cooked and cooled, transfer it to a container, adding a little oil if necessary, and refrigerate for up to five days. You can add the eggs at the time of reheating.

Can I peel eggplant for ratatouille?

This is more based on your personal preference. I don’t mine the skin of the eggplant.

Ratatouille Ingredients:

Eggplant
Red Onion
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & Black Pepper
Bell Pepper: Any sweet bell pepper of your preference: I’m using Red, Green, and Orange.
Zucchini: You can use Yellow Squash or a combination of both.
Tomatoes: In this recipe, I use crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
Fresh Spinach: you can substitute for basil
Avocado Oil: Any oil of your preference
Vegetable Broth: Low sodium is recommended
Eggs: At room temperature

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Chop the eggplant and place it in a sieve. Add a teaspoon of salt and rinse. This will draw out the bitterness. Then, pat dry with paper towels to remove the excess moisture and salt.

Next, continue dicing the rest of the veggies. I place them in different mixing bowls as I will sautee each of them at separate times.

Heat some oil in a skillet and brown the eggplant over medium-high heat. Transfer it to a bowl.

Add the rest of the oil into the skillet and toss in the onion and the red pepper flakes. Saute for a minute. Add the bell peppers. Cook that a bit until it softens up.

Next, add the pressed garlic and stir it until it’s fragrant. Return the eggplant zucchini to the pot. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, crack an egg and drop it around the edge of the pan. I decided to make three eggs. Arrange spinach around the eggs, pushing it slightly into the sauce.