I’ve been making this stovetop ratatouille for years because it’s so easy and delicious. The hardest part is cutting up the veggies and even that isn’t so bad. Instead of slicing and arranging each veggie piece (à la Julia Child) this easier recipe calls for you to simply chop them up and then throw them in the pot.

This classic dish of onions, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes is a staple in France and across Europe. It’s simple, easy to make, customizable, and goes well with so many different kinds of meat and carbs. Much of European home cooking is just fresh and tasty dishes that are simple to make. These are the ones that get repeated over and over again.

My favorite way to eat ratatouille is over white rice with some grated parmesan cheese on top. But, it also makes a great dip-able dish for some French bread as well.

I don’t always add the eggplant in, especially in summer when my neighbors often supply me with some mammoth zucchini. These easily fill the pot. I’ve also been known to sneak some other veggies in as well. It might not “proper” but sometimes you just have to use up some produce and this is a great dish for that.

And, you can have it over pasta, too. This recipe makes a great big pot of it so you can freeze some and then defrost it for pasta night when you’re feeling lazy- and still get your veggies in for the day!

This is one of the biggest pay offs for effort because this recipe makes so much and yet takes such a small amount of attention and time. It’s the closest thing to convenience food that you can get with a homemade recipe!