Ratatouille | Recipe, Meaning, Dish, & Ingredients (2024)

ratatouille, seasonal vegetable stew of Provençal origin, comprising squash, tomatoes, and other garden vegetables and herbs.

The teeming summer gardens of Mediterranean France are the inspiration for and source of ratatouille, a dish whose name is taken from two related words: ratouiller, meaning to agitate or stir a liquid, and tatouiller, meaning to beat (as in the drumbeat called the tattoo) or to shake. Both words are appropriate, for a classic ratatouille is composed of chopped or sliced vegetables that are sautéed in olive oil until lightly browned so that they hold their form, then simmered in water on low heat and stirred from time to time to blend the flavours.

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Many summer vegetables take part in a ratatouille. French chef Jacques Pépin uses cubed zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and bell peppers to make a savory casserole. Eggplant is another widely used ingredient, and typical spices are basil and thyme. There is some local variation in serving the vegetables cooked down and then crisped in the pan or in a more stewlike, juicy form. On its native soil, too, there is some disagreement among chefs about whether onion should be included. Some chefs, such as the renowned restaurateur Joël Robuchon, advocate sautéing each type of vegetable separately and then mixing them in the simmering stage, while others are less fastidious. All agree, however, that the vegetables must be chopped well and not overcooked, so that each ingredient remains recognizable and retains its integrity.

The first known recipe for ratatouille dates to the 19th century and the first known instance of its name to the late 18th century, although the dish was probably well known long before that. Whatever the case, ratatouille is the signature dish of Nice, the major city of Provence. It is a good example of “peasant cooking,” food characteristic of a rural countryside that has been elevated to the status of fine dining, as presented in the eponymous Pixar film of 2007. Ratatouille is usually served warm, but it can also be eaten cold as a refreshment on a hot summer day. Ratatouille is by its nature vegetarian and vegan, but it often accompanies grilled meat or fish.