While I was sifting through several ratatouille recipes and methods online this week, I discovered that there are several “correct” ways to make it. Some involve roasting the vegetables separately while others require chopping everything up and making a stew, and others involve layering and slow-roasting the vegetables together.
Originally invented by French peasants, ratatouille was designed to be an economical and uncomplicated way to use up all of the late-summer vegetables together in a stew. It was only later that Chef Thomas Keller revamped this concept when he was asked by Pixar to make a fancier version of the dish for the movie, Ratatouille, and named his version “confit byaldi.” This version involves placing thinly sliced vegetables accordion style and baking them together in one pan.
Ratatouille is already vegan, so the traditional components don’t really need to be adjusted. However, I left out the red pepper and added in oil-cured olives for this version to add some umami. This tasted great right out of the oven, but was even better the next day, after all of the flavors have had a chance to mingle a bit. Serve it with some bread and red wine for a simple and pretty September dinner.
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RATATOUILLE (CONFIT BYALDI)
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 TB olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 TB flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 TB fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup crushed roma tomatoes (I used a prepared version)
- 1/2 small onion, sliced
- 1 small zucchini, sliced on a mandoline slicer
- 1 small squash, sliced on a mandoline slicer
- 1 small eggplant, sliced on a mandoline slicer
- 1 tomato, chopped
- extra parsley, chopped (for serving)
- handful of oil-cured olives, chopped (for serving)
Instructions
- Place the olive oil and chopped onion in a small cast-iron pan over low heat. After about 5 minutes, sprinkle it with the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper flakes. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes without stirring. Add in the garlic and stir everything around. Let simmer for about 10 minutes more. Add in the fresh parsley, basil and roma tomato sauce. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes more.
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
- Remove the pan from the heat and place onto a potholder on your countertop. Distribute the sliced onion onto the bottom.
- Place a zucchini slice in the middle, then cover it with a squash slice so only the rind part is showing. Place an eggplant slice on top of that and repeat the process until you’ve created a spiral design in one long strand around your entire pan. It took me about 20 minutes to get all of the slices placed as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the chopped tomatoes over the top. Place a piece of circular parchment paper on top of the pan, then place a piece of foil over the entire pan. Place into the oven to bake for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, remove the parchment paper and foil. Increase the oven heat to 400 degrees, then bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown.
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and olives.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Amber says
This is a favorite! Found your recipe on Pinterest many years ago and have been making it for my family since 2012 … thank you so much!
erin wysocarski says
Thanks for taking the time to drop this sweet comment in, Amber … I’m so happy you love it, and especially for so long! xo
Sue says
I made this but don’t have a mandolin slicer, is t, and I couldn’t quite layer them and spiral them as yiu did – with a you did, does the mandolins slicer make them paper thin? And then how exactly do you layer them do they spiral together? My daughters found your recipe, loved the Ratatouille movie. And we’re excited to try it, I can buy a mandolin slicer fir me tyine, but do you have any tips for layering them in a spiral? I fear it exceeds my cooking ability! The sauce smells delicious and I Csn tell itsgoung to be yummy – just wish I can match your picture! It’. Thanks for any tips!
erinwyso says
Hi Sue, yes a mandoline will make paper-thin slices and is essential to making this dish. I just layered slowly (I enjoy the repetitive process), so it just takes some time. Another thing you can try is holding your hand, palm up and flat, layer on your hand, then add in small “swatches” to the pan. I hope that this helps and you enjoy it!
Anonymous says
Makes my mouth water just looking at the pics and reading the recipe! Thank you for posting this. I cannot wait to make it for my family! 🙂
Miista Thompson says
Thank you for your instructions. I screamed in pure excitement when you said, "Serve it with some bread and red wine for a simple and pretty September dinner," because it just sounds like a perfect night. The only thing that can turn a shit day into a good one is dinner and I can imagine how much this will put me in a good mood! The colour and design looks amazing and I can't wait to taste it. I've always wanted to make it ever since I watched the animation, but I wasn't much of a veggie fan back then and I probably wouldn't have been clever enough to understand the instructions haha. I'm so keen to do this, but I'm scared I might do it wrong and screw the whole dish. Won't bits of parchment paper get stuck in the dish when you put it on top? And when you put it in the fridge, what do you cover it with? Tin foil, glad wrap or doesn't matter? And after you've put it in the fridge over night to eat the next day, would you need to reheat it or can you eat it cold? Also, if I wanted to feed about 10 people, would I just triple the amount of everything?
Sorry for the 21 questions. It's just that I'm exactly like the food critic in the movie; if I don't like it, I won't swallow. And my tastebuds are weird. I don't eat a lot of food, because most food I come across doesn't taste good. I just don't want to waste my time and money on something that might turn out wrong or bad, because of me, and end up wasting it or not being satisfied from the dish. If only I could have a sample of a taste somewhere. I might do that actually… find somewhere to eat some.
Thank you!
erinwyso says
Miista, glad you like! The vegetables will sweat a bit, so the parchment wont stick — it's quite sturdy. Before refrigerating this, you'll need to transfer it out of the cast iron pan and into another container with a lid. I wouldn't recommend eating it cold and yes, this can be tripled easily to feed more folks — you may need to slightly increase the bake time a bit if there is more volume there.
I hope you like the dish!
Sherry Carpenter says
I have made this several times, my family loves it. This is the best ratatouille recipe.
erinwyso says
Sherry, so happy you like this … thanks for your feedback!
miggyswamp says
This was soooo good! Thank you for such a delectable recipe 🙂
erinwyso says
Glad you enjoyed. : )
Tohni Blower says
Mine's in the oven right now and I am VERY excited. 🙂
Don't Get Mad Get Vegan! says
I have always wanted to try making it this way since seeing that movie. Yours is so beautifully crafted.
Cabby says
Wow this is extremely beautiful! Just found your site and am a new follower, even though I am not a fan of olives 😉
Definitely want to make this. Thanks.
The photography throughout your blog is gorgeous!
Julie says
Beautiful, and I imagine it was just delicious ! Cheers 🙂
moonsword says
Almost too beautiful to eat, but too superyumful to pass up! Many thanks!
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack! says
Wow! This looks utterly gorgeous! You did a great job layering the ingredients, mine never look that good. ha ha This sounds perfect, right about now, especially with olives. Mmmm..
erinwyso says
Thanks Jackie! I loved spiraling these out, kind of meditative. Yes, the olives are really perfect in this dish!
andi says
Can't wait to make this, I hope mine looks as beautiful as yours! Stunning, really!
erinwyso says
Thank you!
christine says
I adore ratatouille, but have never baked it in the oven before – yours looks divine, so pretty:) I'm on a semi-fasting day today, with only one meal, in about 3 hours and counting! I think I may do something along these lines, thanks for the idea
erinwyso says
Thank you Christine! I hope you enjoy the recipe and good luck with the fast!
Andrea says
Wow, that looks excellent!
erinwyso says
Thanks!
Mihl says
That is the most beautiful ratatouille I have ever seen! Who knew you could make ratatouille look so fancy. I'll definitely use this method in future. Instead of dumping everything into a pot…
erinwyso says
Thanks Mihl! It was really easy, actually kind of relaxing to arrange all of the little pieces this way.
laceylovesfood says
Oh wow! I love ratatouile but I've never see any that was this pretty. I'll have to try out your method!
erinwyso says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
Angry Asian says
is it silly that i refuse to watch that cartoon/movie because it stars rats? i have a fear of rodents and no amount of cute-ing it up will do. it's also the reason why i won't eat ratatouille. i've ventured into the Stupid Realm but it's true. Confit byaldi, however, i would sample and yours is beautiful.
erinwyso says
Lan, Yes, totally silly … you have to watch Ratatouille! Yes it has rats, but it is such a good underdog(rat?) story, that it doesn't matter. I loved all of the characters and it was a perfect foodie film!
Caitlin says
i love ratatouille!!! i haven't had it for a while(perhaps a year), and your version looks like the perfect version to make! i love the addition of olives. i'm an olive lover.
my brother used to make ratatouille in the crockpot with lots of different squash. it was so good, i could eat far too many bowls in one sitting. but since he doesn't write down recipes, i was never able to recreate it. i should ask him to make it for me for old time's sake.
erinwyso says
Thanks Caitlin! I don't know why I have never made this before … its really good and simple (I loved smelling all of the flavors during the cook time.) Tastes even better the next day!
Julia says
You did an amazing job slicing those vegetables so finely and capturing colors like that! I really like your photo, saw it on FoodGawker.
erinwyso says
Thank you!
LittleMonsterx14 says
i love ratatouille! (the food and the movie) this looks so beautiful and tasty! I'll have to make it, but it will be dinner for one, my boyfriend hates veggies 🙁 eh hes just missing out!
erinwyso says
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!