Ingredients (3-4 servings)
1/2 cup Paradiso extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound small white onions, peeled or 1/2 pound yellow
onions, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/2 pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into strips
1/2 pound whole baby zucchini or 1/2 pound regular
zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 pound plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
handful of Italian parsley, chopped or torn
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated
Italian bread
Method for People in a Hurry
1. Heat the Paradiso extra virgin olive oil in a large pot.
Sauté the onions over low heat until soft but not colored.
Stir in the garlic.
2. Add eggplant, peppers, whole zucchini, and tomatoes.
Stir to coat with Paradiso extra virgin olive oil.
3. Cook covered over very low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Add basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Top with mozzarella.
Cook covered another 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Serve with crusty Italian bread to soak up the juices.
Method for Purists
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive oil in a
large pot. Sauté the onions until soft.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive oil in a
large skillet. Sauté the eggplant, then transfer it to the
large pot.
3. Add another 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive
oil to the skillet. Sauté the peppers, then transfer them to
the large pot.
4. Add another 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive
oil to the skillet. Sauté the tomatoes and transfer them to
the large pot.
5. Cook, partially covered, over low heat, gently stirring
occasionally, for 1-1/2 hours.
6. Add basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
7. Adjust seasoning, then cook about 30 minutes more,
uncovered so that the juices evaporate. Omit cheese.
Buon appetito!
1/2 cup Paradiso extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound small white onions, peeled or 1/2 pound yellow
onions, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/2 pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into strips
1/2 pound whole baby zucchini or 1/2 pound regular
zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 pound plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
handful of Italian parsley, chopped or torn
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated
Italian bread
Method for People in a Hurry
1. Heat the Paradiso extra virgin olive oil in a large pot.
Sauté the onions over low heat until soft but not colored.
Stir in the garlic.
2. Add eggplant, peppers, whole zucchini, and tomatoes.
Stir to coat with Paradiso extra virgin olive oil.
3. Cook covered over very low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Add basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Top with mozzarella.
Cook covered another 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Serve with crusty Italian bread to soak up the juices.
Method for Purists
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive oil in a
large pot. Sauté the onions until soft.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive oil in a
large skillet. Sauté the eggplant, then transfer it to the
large pot.
3. Add another 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive
oil to the skillet. Sauté the peppers, then transfer them to
the large pot.
4. Add another 2 tablespoons of Paradiso extra virgin olive
oil to the skillet. Sauté the tomatoes and transfer them to
the large pot.
5. Cook, partially covered, over low heat, gently stirring
occasionally, for 1-1/2 hours.
6. Add basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
7. Adjust seasoning, then cook about 30 minutes more,
uncovered so that the juices evaporate. Omit cheese.
Buon appetito!
| What is it that we love so much about Provencal food? Could it be that Provence's signature ingredients – olive oil, garlic, tomatoes – are Italian? Not surprising, since Nice and the surrounding area were part of Italy until 1860. Ratatouille, the classic of Provence, is already well on its way to being Italian. We're just giving it a little push toward Italy by adding Paradiso extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella, Italian herbs, and Italian bread. Ratatouille is a newcomer to French cuisine. Escoffier doesn't mention it in his 1903 Guide Culinaire; neither does the chef who influenced Julia Child, Madame Ste. Ange, in her 1927 cookbook. There is no ancient tradition to interfere with, so we are taking the liberty of making Ratatouille Italiano. Our rustico ragout, made with Paradiso extra virgin olive oil, can stand solo as a substantial lunch or light dinner. Italians would rather spend their time at the table with friends and family, eating vegetables, than spend hours in the kitchen chopping, frying, and cooking vegetables, so we've come up with some ways to shorten the hours of prep that the French version requires. First, the eggplant. Some recipes say to salt the eggplant and let it stand for half an hour to get rid of the juices. Maybe you'd need to do that if you'd bought the eggplant with the brown bruises, but you didn't. You picked the one that was fresh and firm under your fingers. The great chef Escoffier didn't salt eggplant before cooking it. Neither did my mother. That's good enough for me. Purists cook each vegetable separately. But eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers are all in the same family – they're nightshades – so they want to be together. Ratatouille is like a family reunion for them. Purists cook the vegetables uncovered, so that the juices will evaporate. Some even instruct that the juices should be drained off. That works if you're going to serve it as a side dish on the same plate with roast meat. But we think that a good motto to live by is: Never throw away anything that contains Italian extra virgin olive oil. That's why humans invented bread. Remember: Extra Virgin Olive Oil – it's the extra vegetable. |
| Ratatouille Italiano |
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"Wonderful products...finally, an importer of REAL
Italian vinegar and olive oil, without the outrageous
prices. Wonderful service. Thank you, thank you."
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Italian vinegar and olive oil, without the outrageous
prices. Wonderful service. Thank you, thank you."
More Reviews
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