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Whoa! This was a trip down memory lane. My mother used to make Ratatouille all of the time. And I do mean all…of…the…time. Hers though, involved nothing but zucchini, brown onion and tinned tomato and we used to turn our noses up at it.
As I made this low-carb dish, I laughed and thought how different it was to what Mum used to call Ratatouille. And then it hit me; as a newly single mum raising three kids and working two jobs, the zucchini would have been grown in our garden and the tomatoes and onion were cheap and easy to store in the pantry.
It made me both sad and proud and I decided that next time I visit Mum, I’m taking a pan of this low-carb Ratatouille to share with her as a tribute and a gift.
I cut my eggplant and zucchini quite chunky because that’s my preference, but you can cut it however you prefer. I then covered the vegetables with our Keto Cheese Sauce and scattered more goat's cheese on top. And a note; we had a leftover portion of this keto Ratatouille for breakfast, with a runny egg on top, and it was sooooo good.
This low-carb Ratatouille makes 6 to 8 side servings (if served as a side with meat, fish or topped with fried eggs if you want to keep it vegetarian), or 4 to 6 regular servings (if served on its own). Enjoy!
Hands-on Overall
Serving size about 225 g/ 8 oz
Nutritional values (per about 225 g/ 8 oz)
Net carbs9.2 grams
Protein7.4 grams
Fat20.3 grams
Calories257 kcal
Calories from carbs 15%, protein 12%, fat 73%
Total carbs14.7 gramsFiber5.5 gramsSugars9 gramsSaturated fat9.2 gramsSodium476 mg(21% RDA)Magnesium39 mg(10% RDA)Potassium619 mg(31% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 8 side servings)
Ratatouille Base:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
- 2 small red onions, thinly sliced (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggplants, diced (1 kg/ 2.2 lb)
- 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced (75 g/ 2.6 oz)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut aminos (40 ml)
- 500 ml passata tomato sauce (17 fl oz)
- 100 g soft goat’s cheese (3.5 oz)
- 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
- Optional: fresh herbs such as parsley or basil to serve
Cheese Sauce:
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp butter (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1/4 cup cream cheese (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (57 g/ 2 oz)
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the eggplants into about 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Slice the bell pepper, and finally thinly slice the zucchini.
- To make the Keto Cheese Sauce, place the cream and the butter in a small saucepan and heat gently until melted. Add the cream cheese and heat until all ingredients are melted and combined. Add the grated cheese and heat until melted and thick. If you want your sauce thinner, add an additional tablespoon or two of cream or water. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and add the red onion and minced garlic. Cook gently over medium heat until softened.
- Add the diced eggplant, sliced bell pepper and an additional tablespoon of oil, cooking for a further five minutes or so.
- Add the coconut aminos and the paprika, and then the tomato passata and stir to combine.
- Simmer for five more minutes and then set aside. (This ratatouille can be prepared a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge before baking.)
- Preheat your oven to 220 °C/ 430 °F (fan assisted), or 240 °C/ 465 °F (conventional). Spoon your ratatouille base into a shallow oven-proof dish.
- Top it with your cheese sauce and spread it gently until even.
- Arrange the zucchini in circles over the top of the cheese sauce, dotting with goat’s cheese when finished.
- Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the top and add a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the zucchini is cooked through and browned.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving. Optionally, sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs such as parsley or basil. Store in a covered container for up to one week in the fridge or freeze in portions.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
- 2 small red onions, thinly sliced (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggplants, diced (1 kg/ 2.2 lb)
- 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced (75 g/ 2.6 oz)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut aminos (40 ml)
- 500 ml passata tomato sauce (17 fl oz)
- 100 g soft goat’s cheese (3.5 oz)
- 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
- Optional: fresh herbs such as parsley or basil to serve
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp butter (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1/4 cup cream cheese (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (57 g/ 2 oz)
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the eggplants into about 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Slice the bell pepper, and finally thinly slice the zucchini.
- To make the Keto Cheese Sauce, place the cream and the butter in a small saucepan and heat gently until melted. Add the cream cheese and heat until all ingredients are melted and combined. Add the grated cheese and heat until melted and thick. If you want your sauce thinner, add an additional tablespoon or two of cream or water. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and add the red onion and minced garlic. Cook gently over medium heat until softened.
- Add the diced eggplant, sliced bell pepper and an additional tablespoon of oil, cooking for a further five minutes or so.
- Add the coconut aminos and the paprika, and then the tomato passata and stir to combine.
- Simmer for five more minutes and then set aside. (This ratatouille can be prepared a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge before baking.)
- Preheat your oven to 220 °C/ 430 °F (fan assisted), or 240 °C/ 465 °F (conventional). Spoon your ratatouille base into a shallow oven-proof dish.
- Top it with your cheese sauce and spread it gently until even.
- Arrange the zucchini in circles over the top of the cheese sauce, dotting with goat’s cheese when finished.
- Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the top and add a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the zucchini is cooked through and browned.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving. Optionally, sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs such as parsley or basil. Store in a covered container for up to one week in the fridge or freeze in portions.
Nutrition (per serving, about 225 g/ 8 oz)
Calories257kcal
Net Carbs9.2g
Carbohydrates14.7g
Protein7.4g
Fat20.3g
Saturated Fat9.2g
Fiber5.5g
Sugar9g
Sodium476mg
Magnesium39mg
Potassium619mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per about 225 g/ 8 oz)
| Total per about 225 g/ 8 oz |
| 9.2 g | 7.4 g | 20.3 g | 257 kcal |
| Olive oil, extra virgin |
| 0 g | 0 g | 6.8 g | 60 kcal |
| Onion, red, fresh |
| 1 g | 0.2 g | 0 g | 6 kcal |
| Garlic, fresh |
| 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Eggplant (aubergine), fresh |
| 3.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.2 g | 31 kcal |
| Peppers, red bell, fresh |
| 0.4 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 3 kcal |
| Paprika, smoked (spices) |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Coconut aminos (substitute to soy sauce) |
| 0.3 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Tomato sauce (passata), unsweetened |
| 2.5 g | 0.8 g | 0.2 g | 16 kcal |
| Goat cheese, fresh (soft) |
| 0 g | 2.3 g | 2.6 g | 33 kcal |
| Zucchini (summer squash, courgette) |
| 0.5 g | 0.3 g | 0.1 g | 4 kcal |
| Keto Cheese Sauce, homemade, basic (KetoDiet blog) |
| 0.7 g | 2.4 g | 10.3 g | 102 kcal |
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