When winter hits, it can be harder to get your vegies in. Because let’s be real, no one wants to eat salad when it’s cold and dreary outside.

So we often look to stews and casseroles as ways to up the veg, and while you easily put veg in many of our favourite meat-based stews, sometimes all we want is to fill up on hearty vegies.

That’s where ratatouille comes in.

What is ratatouille?

At its heart, ratatouille is a rustic vegetable stew that is commonly made with eggplant, tomatoes, capsicum and zucchini. This classic southern French dish was invented as a way of using up the excess produce, and is traditionally served as a side alongside beef, lamb or poultry dishes. However, ratatouille is also perfect as a main meal, and pairs well with rice or couscous to soak up all its delicious juices.

Credit: BestRecipesTeam

Techniques for making a basic ratatouille

Ratatouille is a relatively simple dish, but there are a few techniques that go into making a classic ratatouille great:

All the vegies should be cut into a large dice of around 20cm square. Don’t fuss too much about getting this perfect, as ratatouille is all about rustic charm.
Ratatouille needs plenty of onions and garlic, and to ensure they have the right flavour, start off by sautéing them over a low heat until they become translucent but still have no browning. This should take around five minutes. For even more flavour, consider throwing in some fresh thyme.
Next, you’ll need to add the veggies that take the longest to cook and sauté for five more minutes until they’re softened. These can include zucchini, squash and eggplant.
Next, add the capsicums and cook for a further five minutes. Finally, add the tomatoes and a few tablespoons of vegetable stock, cover and let it gently simmer away for 10-15 minutes.
Finish the dish with chopped oregano, basil or parsley, a generous amount of seasoning and a swirl of your best olive oil.

Tips and tricks for the perfect ratatouille

Here are a few pointers to make your ratatouille extra special:

Ratatouille is a rustic dish that needs perfectly ripe ingredients to make it shine. This is one of those dishes that’s best left to when things are in season.
If you find the vegetables aren’t cooked to your liking, try cooking them separately, before allowing them to simmer together with the vegetable stock.
If your tomatoes are particularly juicy, try removing the seeds before adding them to the dish.
If your eggplant has particularly tough skin, consider removing it before adding it to the dish.
If you prefer a strong tomato flavour, try stirring through two tablespoons of tomato puree with the tomatoes.

What to serve with ratatouille

Ratatouille is a classic French side that is perfect to serve up alongside any of these dishes:

Dinner party ratatouille

If you fancy serving ratatouille as part of your next dinner party, but want to make it a little more impressive, try one of these serving suggestions:

Use small individual casserole dishes to serve the ratatouille alongside your main dish.
Try piling up the vegetables in a large serving dish and placing them in the centre of the table for dramatic effect.
Use a food mould to arrange the ratatouille in a perfect mound on each plate.