This traditional dish consists of pieces of cuttlefish doused in a flavorful tomato-based sauce that is usually enriched with onions, white wine, and garlic. The dish is usually finished off with the addition of aioli, which thickens the sauce and provides the typical velvety texture.

Hailing from Sète, the dish was named rouille, meaning rust, referring to the distinctive red hue of the sauce. It is usually served over pasta or alongside rice or polenta, and if aioli is not mixed in the sauce, a dollop is traditionally placed on each serving of rouille.