A while ago a friend insisted I had to see the movie Ratatouille. I took her advice and went one evening with my parents (and Molly, who loves watching TV) to see it. The film was as charming as she promised, and afterward I developed a huge craving—for ratatouille, naturally.
The very next day I bought all the ingredients and made my own batch. It satisfied the craving completely; the only thing missing was Remy the rat to help me cook.
Remy, if you’re out there, I’m looking for a sous chef. My mom might object to a rat in the kitchen, though.
As the photo shows, I prepared a large pot of ratatouille. When I cook I like to make extra portions and freeze the leftovers, and these lasted a long time in the freezer.
Served here with fluffy brown rice and lime wedges—after taking the photo I tried a little lime on the rice, decided it didn’t complement the ratatouille, and that was the end of the pretty lime wedges.
Other fun ways to enjoy ratatouille: wrap it in a tortilla and give it a playful name. A couple of possibilities:
- Ra-ta-tilla
- Wrap-tatouille
There are countless ratatouille recipes online, and here’s my version to add to the mix.
Rat-a-tat-ouille
(This recipe freezes well)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 red peppers, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3–5 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ lb eggplant, cubed
- 1 large can tomatoes (or substitute fresh tomatoes)
- 1 ½ lb zucchini, sliced
- Optional: 1 can chickpeas
- 3 tbsp dried basil (use much more if using fresh)
- Salt to taste (I use about 1¼ tsp)
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Oil for sautéing
Instructions:
- In a large pot, heat a little oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until the onion begins to brown.
- Add the chopped red and green peppers, cubed eggplant, sliced zucchini, canned tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes), and optional chickpeas.
- Stir in the basil, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
- Cover the pot and simmer gently until all the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot or cold. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze in portions for longer storage.
Serving suggestions: spoon ratatouille over rice, toss it with pasta, pile it into a warm tortilla, or use it as a hearty side dish. It also works well as a topping for toasted bread or as part of a grain bowl.