Vegetable ratatuia

The vegetable ratatuia is a local version of the French classic, made tastier by the addition of capers, anchovies and vinegar.

The recipe for ratatuia arrived directly from nearby France in the area between Lower Piedmont and Liguria . This dish, which from its name seems to be a simple Italianization of ratatouille, actually differs from its older brother due to some ingredients. In the vegetable ratatuia there are anchovies and capers and everything is flavored with vinegar and, sometimes with sugar, in order to obtain a pleasant sweet and sour taste.

Another difference is the addition of green beans , which are not found in the traditional recipe, and carrots . In short, the Italian version of the vegetable stew is richer and tastier but always flavored with basil.

How to prepare the vegetable ratatoia recipe

1. First clean all the vegetables . Peel the potatoes and carrots and cut them into cubes. Also dice peppers after removing the stem, seeds and internal white filaments. Remove the ends of the green beans and cut them in half.
2. Peel the onion , slice it finely and brown it in a pan with a generous drizzle of oil.
3. Then add potatoes and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and peppers , add the tomato paste (or 2 tomatoes diced and seeded) and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. If necessary you can add one or two ladles of water. Season with salt and pepper .
4. In the meantime, chop the capers and anchovies and add them to the vinegar . To taste, if you like sweet and sour, you can also add 1 tablespoon of sugar .
5. Once the ratatuia is ready, add the freshly prepared mixture and evaporate the vinegar over a high heat , stirring. Season with fresh basil chopped with your hands and serve.

Conservation

Piedmontese or Ligurian ratatuia can be kept for 2-3 days in the refrigerator , closed in an airtight container. You can also freeze it , already portioned, for up to 6 months.

Origin and history

Although we hear about Ligurian ratatuia and Piedmontese ratatuia as two distinct recipes, it is not clear what the differences between the two really are. Both born from the French ratatouille , let's not forget that Nice was the port of Piedmont, of the more traditional version they only keep the cooking of the vegetables, so much so that some Ligurian versions include the addition of trumpet courgettes , typical of the region.

What certainly remains is the link with the French term touiller and the Occitan ratatolha which evoke the act of mixing. It must also be said that purists cook the vegetables separately and then add them at the end so as to keep all the flavors well divided. This philosophy does not fit well with the practical cooking of today, so it is not surprising that no one prepares it like this anymore.

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