Easy Baked Ratatouille - The FoodOlic recipes (2024)

Baked Ratatouille Provençale is a colourful vegetarian dish consisting of thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, tomato and bell pepper swimming in a tomato, goat cheese, and thyme sauce drizzled with olive oil and a few olives.

Baked Ratatouille with Olives is a delight for the eyes and the taste buds. Simple to make in under 30 minutes. Simply need a mandoline, and you’ll get this fantastic-looking and tasting dish made in no time!The secret of this dish lay atthe bottom of the dish—asauce made with; goat cheese,tomato, garlic, pepper and thyme. When merged with all the top veggies, it becomes a splendid flavour explosion! I usually serve ratatouille with rice or couscous and add the bottom juice all over the rice.

History

This southern France dish is usually served as a side dish, but nowadays, like in this recipe, the dish is used as a full main meal! Two prominent variations exist; one is called Niçoise, which is usually eaten cold with an omelette or salad. The other, called Provençale, was hot and more of a thick soup style made in a pot.

Goat Cheese in Ratatouille?

It’s the special ingredient of this dish, not a traditional one, but what makes this ratatouille stand out. You’ll see… itgives the ratatouille a whole new dimension,an extra smoothness to the dish. It’s a subtle touch that hides underneath the veggies, a sidekick to bring some ‘Je ne sais quoi‘ to the dish. I use fresh crustless goat cheese for this, but if you prefer feta or cream cheese, it will work out fine too!

Holy Olives!

A few juicy olives on top are a must, again optional, but give that extra touch of salt and colour to the Ratatouille. Just a few freshly cracked Kalamata olives will do, and a touch of thyme and olive oil to make thisdish Mediterranean. Every country bordering the Mediterranean sea got their version of Ratatouille, for example; the Greeks call it Tourlou, the Turks; Türlu; the Catalans call it Samfaina, and the Italians; Caponata, etc., all have their own twists to it, but the end of the day: this dish is classic!

To Serve with?

As previously mentioned, ratatouille is a side dish served with fish, eggs or meat. Nowadays, this version is more of a main dish, served on couscous, rice or even pasta. Could make a lovely addition to a Thanksgiving table.

Other French Recipes

• MINI RATATOUILLE
• THE ART OF FRENCH OMELETTE MAKING
• BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH MUSHROOM

So let’s get this colourful ratatouille!