If you’ve ever visited Provence in late summer, you’ll know how abundant and beautiful the local produce is, with plump tomatoes, firm zucchini, and fragrant herbs adorning every market stall. 

The tian de ratatouille is a classic way to showcase these sun-ripened vegetables, layered artfully and baked slowly until tender and full of flavor.

While traditional ratatouille is more of a rustic stew, this tian version brings a little elegance to the table. It's perfect as a light lunch or a colorful side dish and it’s surprisingly easy to prepare. It will look like you’ve gone to much more trouble than you actually have!

Laura ready to cook

Laura ready to cook the tian, ©Laura Crotet

Instructions

  • Slice the eggplant into thin rounds. Put them in a bowl and lightly salt them. Let them sit for about 15-20 minutes to give their water, then rinse and pat dry. You can brush a little olive oil on each round, but I do not think this is necessary.
  • During this time, slide the zucchini, the tomatoes, and the onions into rounds.
  • Preheat the oven to 360°F.
  • Rub the bottom of your dish with a garlic clove that you did not cut, then put some olive oil in the dish.
  • Begin assembling the tian by arranging the sliced vegetables, alternating the colors. If you have a square dish like me, you can do this by lines. If you have a round dish, start on the outside and make a circular arrangement. As I did not want too much on an onion taste, I skipped every other turn for the onion.

The tian ready for the oven

The tian is ready for the oven, ©Laura Crotet

  • Sprinkle the top with the chopped garlic, herbes de Provence, salt & pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.
  • Cook in the oven for about 1 hour, until the vegetables are soft and are starting to turn golden on the top.

It is a great side dish for a BBQ, or can be enjoyed as is with a salad, a baked potato, or a crusty baguette (and of course, some rosé from the south of France).

 

The tian finished

Looks delicious! ©Laura Crotet

 

- Laura Crotet, France Just For You

If this recipe brings water to your mouth, you may want to check out our recipe for Pistou soup, another Riviera specialty.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Jenifer
When planning my 60th birthday celebration, my sister and I stumbled upon France Just For You, which saved us from the potential nightmare of traveling with 40 strangers on a bus. As a result, my sister and I, along with our husbands, experienced a trip of a lifetime! From the beginning, Emilie was extraordinarily responsive, informative, and more …
Tony
The organisation and friendliness of the places we stayed was outstanding. We travel a lot and this was a delightful experience that we can't wait to do again. I could not recommend more highly the professionalism in the booklets which are a long term reminder of a most memorable time. We travelled from NZ a long way for just two weeks but it was …
Jena
Our trip was exactly as expected, planned perfectly with so many amazing tips on where and how to get around like a local. 25 days, with lots of driving and so much to see. Paris, Versailles, Normandy, Loire Valley, Sancerre, Dordogne and Bordeaux. We were warmly welcomed at all B&Bs and felt that we really got a local feel everywhere we went. All …
Peter
France-Just for You is the best agency/coordinator we have EVER used. We have traveled around the world to more than 50 countries and this was by far the best job of coordination we ever experienced. The owner, Emilie, lives in France and is 100% accessible by email or phone. We emailed her the first time we learned about her business and from then …
Maureen
If I had to sum up our trip in one word it would just have to be WOW! But of course it is impossible to describe the trip of a lifetime in just one word. The detail and care that Emilie put into planning our trip was AMAZING. Every place we stayed, every outing she planned, every person that she put us in contact was wonderful. My husband and I …
Marlene & Terry
Emilie, You are the best! Everything you selected for us was perfect in every way. All the tickets, tours and reservations were handled well and we thank you for arranging such a beautiful vacation. We are recommending you to everyone we talk to. If you are ever in Toronto, we would be happy to host you and Guillaume!