Do you need to peel the vegetables for ratatouille?

Because they're sliced so thinly, it's not necessary to peel the vegetables for this ratatouille recipe.

What do you serve with ratatouille?

Serve ratatouille over pasta, rice, couscous, or crusty bread. But my favorite is over a mound of cheesy, creamy polenta. Here's a good basic polenta recipe .

Is ratatouilled eaten hot or cold?

That's up to you. I prefer it hot, but I can see it being good at room temperature too.

Remy's Traditional Ratatouille

Name: Remy's Ratatouille
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 cup tomato sauce; 1 small onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1 small bunch of fresh thyme; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon flour; 1 cup warm milk; ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 medium zucchini; 1 medium eggplant; 1 medium yellow squash; 4 medium tomatoes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Description

In this traditional French ratatouille dish, layers of thinly sliced summer vegetables are baked in a tomato cream sauce for a fresh garden dinner sure to impress your favorite critic.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup tomato sauce
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 small bunch of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup warm milk
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium zucchini
1 medium eggplant
1 medium yellow squash
4 medium tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking sheet, casserole dish, or large cast-iron pan. Chop the onion and garlic and spread them over the sauce. Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs and sprinkle half over the sauce.
Make the béchamel sauce by melting the butter over medium heat in a small pot. When melted, add the flour and cook for a minute or two until browned. Slowly whisk in the milk. When smooth, bring it to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from the heat and season with the nutmeg, a few grinds of black pepper, and ¼ teaspoons of salt. Stir the béchamel sauce into the tomato sauce in the bottom of your pan or dish.
Thinly slice the zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, and tomato. A mandolin works well for all but the tomato, for which you may want to carefully use a sharp knife. Slice the eggplant last, as it will quickly turn brown.
Arrange several slices of the vegetables in your hand, then place them into your pan over the sauce. Repeat this process with the same vegetable order until they’re tightly packed and the pan is full. You can go in rows or try a circular pattern. If you still have leftover vegetable slices, fill them in where needed.
Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt and the remaining thyme over the vegetables. Drizzle over the olive oil. Cover the dish with a piece of parchment paper and bake in the oven for 50 – 60 minutes. Serve warm, topped with Parmesan.

Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 60
Category: Dinner
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French