French meets Italian in Tian with an Italian Twist (Vegan Option)
It’s mid-summer, which means eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes are pouring out of the garden. And I can’t think of a better dish to highlight all those wonderful veggies than ratatouille. The only thing better is my recipe for Tian with an Italian Twist.
Of course, many of you will think this dish is ratatouille, after seeing the Disney movie Ratatouille. But Disney got it wrong. Ratatouille is the name of a mouse chef and is a French vegetable stew BUT it is NOT the dish cooked in the movie. That dish is a tian, which is a recipe from Provance, France. Similar ingredients but completely separate ways of cooking it.
So, how did I end up with fusing French and Italian? In 2016, the hubby and I spent the spring in France and summer in Italy in 2016. With the back-to-back influence from the cuisine in both regions, this dish is my homage to both. It’s now a favorite in our house.
And seriously, why wouldn’t you? Browned cheese with tomato sauce over eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and fresh basil! Yes, PLEASE.
Dump the Cheese for a Vegan Option
It’s easy to make this dish vegan simply by dropping the cheese. It brings it back to a more traditional tian but is still wonderful with the addition of the Italian marinara sauce. The dish is incredible either way.
Tian Substitutions and Additions
Eggplant truly is the base of the tian, so I do suggest keeping it. BUT all that said, all the veggies in this dish are easily swapped in and out as you prefer. You can also add thinly sliced onion, yellow and summer squash, or potatoes.
Basil is usually coming in by the buckets in the summer, but other herbs that pair well in this dish are rosemary and oregano. Each one gives a completely different flavor profile and can be used in a combo as well.
If you don’t want to turn on the oven, you can also do this dish on the stovetop. You will miss browning the cheese. When cooking on the stovetop, I recommend using large cubes instead of slices.
Don’t Skip This Step
I highly recommend that you don’t skip the step of salting the eggplant and zucchini ahead. Salting pulls the extra moisture from the veggies, so that you don’t end up with a watery dish. And because the veggies absorb the salt while sitting, you don’t need to add more salt to the veggies.
30 minutes is the minimum. Two hours is better to really get a lot of the water out of the veggies. Make sure you set the colander or strainer in the sink or a shallow bowl to catch the dripping juices.
Get Your Summer on with French Tian with an Italian Twist
I know it’s hot outside. BUT this dish is worth the effort when you taste all those summer flavors together. And if you’re looking for more ways to use up eggplant and tomatoes, check out my Homemade Moussaka with Turkey, Lentils and Eggplant. It’s 100% delicious.
And please let me know if you’re giving this recipe for French Tian with an Italian Twist a try. I’m always interested to know how it came out for you and what changes you made. Or tag me in photos on Instagram @SimplySophisticatedCooking.
French Tian with an Italian Twist
Ingredients
Quick Marinara Sauce
- 1 14 oz (400gram) can diced Italian tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Ratatouille
- ½ cup kosher or chunky sea salt
- 1 medium-size eggplant sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 medium-size zucchini sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced 1/4" thick
- 2 large tomatoes sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 large bunch fresh basil leaves
- 2 cups grated mozzarella
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- freshly grated black pepper to taste
Instructions
Quick Marinara Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and dried oregano, cooking until fragrant.
- Pour in diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and allow to simmer for about five minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and set aside until needed.
Preparing the Vegetables
- Place sliced eggplant and zucchini into a colander or strainer with a shallow bowl underneath. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of course salt, mixing well to coat all the veggie pieces. Leave to sit at least 30-minutes or up to two hours before use to sweat the water out of the vegetables. Do not skip this step.
Ratatouille Assembly
- Carefully rinse the eggplant and zucchini slices, removing excess salt. You do not need more salt in this dish.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (200 C).
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large casserole dish or oven-safe skillet, coating the entire dish.
- In the bottom, spread a large spoonful of the marinara sauce.
- Layer in the vegetable slices, alternating each layer with eggplant, zucchini, tomato, red bell pepper, and basil leaves. Repeat until you have used all the vegetables.
- Tuck any remaining basil leaves in-between the layers and then pour remaining marinara sauce over the vegetables. Shaking bowl slightly to work the sauce down into the layers.
- Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and then top with grated mozzarella.
- Pop into the oven for 25 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender and cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving with a leafy green salad and crusty bread for sopping up the amazing juices.