Ratatouille
Learn how to make the best French ratatouille with this foolproof recipe! The trick is to roast the vegetables, then add them to a simmering tomato sauce.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
It’s ratatouille season! Ratatouille is a classic end-of-summer French stew that’s fun to say (rat-tuh-TOO-ee) and fun to make. It’s packed with fresh produce: tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash, and bell pepper.
This summer, we sampled authentic French ratatouille in Provence. I liked some ratatouille more than others, so I vowed to come up with my own favorite ratatouille recipe when I came home. Today is the day!
In Provence, ratatouille is typically cooked on the stove. Each vegetable is cooked in olive oil until it’s properly tender. In the end, all of the ingredients are combined and simmered to meld the flavors.
The French know how to cook, and this concept is definitely one to follow. Ratatouille combines a large volume of late-summer vegetables that have different cook times. If you tried to throw them all into a pot at once, none of the veggies would have a chance to caramelize, the eggplant would fall apart by the time the zucchini is tender, and your ratatouille would probably never meet its full potential.
This recipe is a little different. We’re going to roast the vegetables until they’re deliciously caramelized on the edges and a little dehydrated (no squeaky or mushy zucchini here). Then, we’ll add those perfectly roasted veggies to a simmering fresh tomato sauce.
This method yields amazing ratatouille. My husband says it’s the best he’s ever had. It’s also easier to make than proper stovetop ratatouille, since it requires less time standing over the stove. Hooray!
5 Reasons to Love Ratatouille
- It’s a great way to use up a surplus of late-summer veggies. If you come home from the farmers’ market with too much, make ratatouille.
- Ratatouille turns basic vegetables into magic. Even if you don’t typically love eggplant or summer squash, I bet you’ll enjoy this ratatouille.
- It’s vegan and gluten free for all to enjoy. Just choose your accompaniments accordingly.
- Ratatouille is a great make-ahead recipe. It tastes even better the next day and reheats beautifully. (You can also freeze extra ratatouille for later.)
- Make it a movie night and watch Disney’s Ratatouille!
Ratatouille Ingredients
This recipe features traditional ratatouille ingredients, which are:
Fresh Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes are key for making ratatouille that tastes fresh and lively, not dull and heavy. We’ll grate the tomatoes (or blitz the in the food processor) and cook them with onion and garlic to make an irresistible tomato sauce.
I tried this recipe with canned tomatoes and it didn’t taste nearly as nice. You can do it if you have to (use one large 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes), but fresh tomatoes really are best.
Eggplant
Eggplant is known for being difficult to prepare, but it’s easy to roast! No salting necessary. The oven takes care of everything.
Zucchini & Yellow Squash
I love the visual combination of green zucchini and yellow squash. If you want to use two of one type instead of both, no problem.
Bell Pepper
Take your pick from red, orange or yellow bell pepper.
Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil deserves a shout-out. We’re only using as much as necessary, so this ratatouille is not greasy like some can be.
Tossing the vegetables lightly in oil raises their surface temperature, which helps us achieve those delicious caramelized edges. Finally, stirring a teaspoon of olive oil into the pot offers some extra richness and herbal flavor. Don’t skip it!
Fresh Basil & Seasonings
We’ll finish off our ratatouille with a handful of chopped basil, which livens up our stew with fresh flavor. We’ll also add a sprinkle of dried oregano—crumble it between your fingers as you add it to wake up the flavor. Then, add salt and pepper until your ratatouille tastes completely wonderful.
How to Make Ratatouille
You’ll find the full rundown in the recipe below. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe—it’s not hard. Here’s the gist:
- Prep your veggies and preheat the oven.
- Toss the eggplant with olive oil and salt on one baking sheet, and the squash and bell pepper on another baking sheet. Arrange the vegetables in an even layer. (Using two pans gives the vegetables room to breathe and lets us split the veggies by cook times.)
- Bake both pans in the oven at once, stirring halfway. The eggplant will finish sooner than the other pan.
- Meanwhile, make a simple tomato sauce on the stovetop. Stir the roasted vegetables into the simmering tomato sauce as they’re ready.
- Lastly, add fresh basil and seasonings. Serve immediately, or let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating for later.
Watch How to Make Ratatouille
Ratatouille Serving Suggestions
Ok, one more reason to love ratatouille—you can serve it so many different ways! Here are a few ideas:
- Serve ratatouille as a stew, with crusty bread on the side. Toasted if you wish.
- Serve it over freshly cooked pasta. So good.
- Leftovers make a great breakfast. Just add cooked eggs: fried, scrambled or poached.
- Turn it into an appetizer by piling spoonfuls onto toasted baguette.
You might enjoy a sprinkle of grated Parmesan or mozzarella over any of the above.
Suggested Equipment
You probably have the proper equipment in your kitchen already. Here’s what you’ll need (these are affiliate links):
- Two large, rimmed baking sheets for roasting your vegetables. These pans (called “half-sheet pans”) are the perfect size for roasting one pound of diced eggplant without overlap. They are what all professional recipe developers use, they’re inexpensive, and I swear by them.
- Cheese grater or food processor for breaking down the fresh tomatoes.
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot for the stovetop.
Please let me know how your ratatouille turns out in the comments! It’s a little labor intensive, as all good ratatouilles are, but I hope it proves 100 percent worth the effort.
Looking for more delicious late-summer recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Caponata
- Double Tomato Pesto Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles
- Heirloom Caprese Salad
- Layered Panzanella Salad
- Vegetable Paella
Ratatouille
Learn how to make the best French ratatouille with this foolproof recipe! The trick is to roast the vegetables, then add them to a simmering tomato sauce. Recipe yields 4 generous or 6 more modest servings.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes (6 medium or 4 large)
- 1 medium eggplant (1 pound), diced into ½-inch cubes
- 1 large red, orange, or yellow bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut into ¾-inch squares
- 1 medium-to-large zucchini (about 8 ounces), diced into ½-inch cubes
- 1 large yellow squash (about 8 ounces), diced into ½-inch cubes
- 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, more to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with one rack in the middle of the oven and one in the upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up, if desired.
- To prepare your tomatoes, remove any woody cores with a paring knife. Then, grate them on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl (this is easiest if you hold the tomato at a diagonal), and chop any remaining tomato skin. Or, blitz the tomatoes in a food processor until they are broken into a frothy pulp. Set aside.
- On one baking sheet, toss the diced eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly coated. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer across the pan, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and set aside.
- On the other baking sheet, toss the bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Place the eggplant pan on the middle rack and the other vegetables on the top rack. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and caramelizing on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, and use a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula to stir any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low, or as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Once 15 minutes are up, remove both pans from the oven, stir, and redistribute the contents of each evenly across the pans. This time, place the eggplant on the top rack and other vegetables on the middle rack.
- Bake until the eggplant is nice and golden on the edges, about 10 more minutes (the eggplant will be done sooner than the rest). Remove the eggplant from the oven, and carefully stir the eggplant into the simmering tomato sauce.
- Let the squash and bell pepper pan continue to bake until the peppers are caramelized, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Then, transfer the contents of the pan into the simmering sauce. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes to give the flavors time to meld.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon olive oil, the fresh basil and red pepper flakes. Crumble the dried oregano between your fingers as you drop it into the pot. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add ¼ teaspoon more) and black pepper.
- Serve in bowls, perhaps with a little drizzle of olive oil, additional chopped basil, or black pepper on top (all optional). Like all stews, this ratatouille’s flavor improves as it cools. It’s even better reheated the next day. Ratatouille keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 days, or for several months in the freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
OMG SO good!!! I followed the recipe (used butternut squash instead of yellow squash) and it was delicious! And so easy to make. Thanks :)
This was great! I’m on a budget so could not sacrifice so many fresh tomatoes, but I used what I had on hand – 1 lb. of canned whole peeled tomatoes and 1 lb. of canned crushed tomatoes, both of which were food processed, and also added the rapidly aging kale lurking in my produce drawer during the 5 minutes of flavor integration, after the vegetables were added towards the end. The kale was a great addition, and overall the dish was delicious! I can’t eat pepper so the kale filled it out quite a bit, and occupied all the juice from the whole peeled tomato can. Delicious! Exciting! A perfect forray into fall food temperatures.
Thanks for sharing, Joan!
I bought way too many veggies (if there’s such a thing) at the farmers market yesterday, and this was a perfect way to use them all at once rather than cooking every night this week. Can’t wait to try all of the suggested ways to eat it. Thank you for another great recipe!
You’re welcome, Cathy! I’m happy you loved it.
I usually avoid eggplant because it’s been such a failure for me in the past but it was SO good in this. We served it with parmesan polenta croutons and it was amazing.
I’m so happy to hear that, Nichole!
This ratatouille recipe is the best I have ever made. Roasting the vegetables made all the difference. My husband didn’t want to stop eating it. So good.
Best ever! Thanks for the review, Kathleen. I’m excited you love it.
Thank you so much for this recipe! You make me feel like a real cook. This was my first time attempting ratatouille, and I am blown away by how amazing it tastes. You really did perfect this recipe. Thank you so much, Kate!
I think you are a real cook, Savannah! Thanks for your review and comment.
This is the BEST Ratatouille recipe ever. I used to buy it from a local Italian bakery, but then they changed the formula and added cheese to it (which I can’t eat). So, I was jonesing for this and it really hit the spot. I’ll never buy it again! (Also, I could not find good tomatoes, so I used a can of diced instead and it was still wonderful)
Thank you, Molly! I’m excited you loved it so much that you aren’t going to buy again.
Just finished making your recipe and it turned out amazing.
So delicious and hearty. I used all organic vegetables from our Saturday Farmers Market. I sautéed the onions and garlic and ghee for some buttery flavor. I also used one Japanese and one Sicilian eggplant.
Thank you. Well done.
Sounds fresh and delicious, Devin! I’m glad you loved it.
Wow!! What a great recipe. The separately roasted vegetables combined at the end made for amazing flavor! Thank you for all the effort you put into a new recipe!
You’re welcome, Pattie!
Best ratat is right! This was perfect. Followed your recipe to a T except I peeled the eggplant because dear hubs won’t touch it with the skins. He claims he “hates zucchini and summer squash” but gobbled down a plate of this over pasta and sautéed chicken sausage. Thanks for another winner Kate!
I’m glad you loved it, Katie! Thanks for sharing your variation.
This was SO delicious! I added a few kalamata olives and roasted some baby bella mushrooms to add. Served over brown rice with shrimp on top. My stomach is in heaven!
Thank you for sharing, Cath!
Have never made ratatouille in any form before tonight. Made this for dinner and it was fabulous!
I usually scope out a few versions of any new recipe and kind of meld them as I see fit, and for my first stab at ratatouille of course I did a little googling and found out from Wikipedia:
“The Larousse Gastronomique claims “according to the purists, the different vegetables should be cooked separately, then combined and cooked slowly together until they attain a smooth, creamy consistency”, so that (according to the chair of the Larousse’s committee Joël Robuchon) “each [vegetable] will taste truly of itself.”
Well, that looks like a LOT of work. But then I found this version. I am a born cheater in the kitchen (aka “efficient”) so the idea of roasting the various veggies looked like a definite winner, yet fit in well with Larousse’s requirements for separate cooking.
I took the cheating one step further and used a 24 oz jar of pasta sauce (and hit it with a stick blender) instead of making the sauce from scratch. Maybe another time for the fresh tomatoes, but this worked really well as a time-saving sub.
Husband liked it a lot, and the idea that it freezes well is one more in the “plus” column! A keeper for sure. Thanks for this.
Hi Tess! Thank you for sharing. I’m happy you loved it and found a way to make it even quicker for yourself.
Thank you for the very clear instructions! This was delicious. My husband does not generally like eggplant but still enjoyed this dish.
Wonderful to hear, Anne! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate! Cannot wait to try this! Quick question, do I peel the tomatoes? Or does the tomato sauce include the skin? And does that mean boiling them until skin is tender and then removing and then putting them in the food processor? Thank you!! (Or if you have a recipe for ‘simple tomato sauce’ that would be super!) thank u!
It includes the skin! You can always chop the skin at the end, if needed depending on your tomatoes.
Thank you Kate it was delicious my whole family enjoyed this recipe ❤️
You’re welcome!
This is fabulous Ratatouille! I had always resisted oven roasting veggies because it seemed like too much trouble and I didn’t have rimmed baking sheets. Well, you MADE my get some. LOL I don’t regret it. This seemed like it might be a lot of trouble, but it was actually very easy, and it is so delicious. The fresh tomatoes really give it that fresh-from-the-garden flavor that really makes it special, and the roasted veggies rock. Another one for my go-to list!
This really kicks butt as leftovers – like most stews, the flavors pop even more with time. I was surprised my husband ate a whole bowl considering he loathes basically everything in this. He’s a good sport c: I’m not sure if I’ll make it again because honestly, I only just kind of like squash and eggplant and this is a bit labor intensive with all the chopping but if you’re a fan of these ingredients, you will love this dish.
I think so too! Thanks so much for your honesty and comment, Carly.
Thank you so much for this recipe. We made it tonight and it was absolutely delicious!! Such extraordinary flavours. Served with fresh baguette and steamed green beans. Adding this recipe to our regular rotations for sure!
Thanks again Kate!
Rose
You’re welcome, Rose!
the best ratatouille recipe I’ve ever made. Normally, the veggies are mushy and it’s disappointing. Roasting the veggies is genius! Will make again and again.
Hooray!! Thanks for letting me know you loved it, Jenna.
This was delicious!! I never comment on recipes I find online, but this was really, really good. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
I’m glad you commented, Patrice! Thank you for your review.
My hubby just made your recipe. I am not a fan of ratatouille, but I LOVED this! Soooooo good!
Thank you for letting me know you loved it, Lee!
Simple, yet delicious. With just a bit of convincing (and a tiny grind of salt), we got our 2 year old to try it. After that first bite, he ate it up quickly! Everything but the basil I was able to get the farmers market
I’m happy your kiddo loved it, Beth! Thanks so much for your review.
One of my favorite Cookie and Kate recipes! And that’s saying something since I love all of the recipes I tried!!
I love that! Thank you, Cindy.
Holy goodness, we loved this ratatouille! It is a perfect end of season dish when the markets are flush with summer vegetables. I will make this again and again!
Absolutely the best ratatouille I’ve ever made.
Hooray!! Thanks for letting me know, Laura.
Hi Kate I made it this afternoon and it was delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
oh my…..I didn’t think I liked eggplant, but this recipe is absolutely delicious. I didn’t add the red pepper flakes as me and spice don’t get along and it was still out of this world good. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this, and all your recipes. This ratatouille was excellent and didn’t even seem like too much work using my tiny oven (it only has one rack, so there was no was no rotating trays for me, haha).
I’ve been reading this blog for a little over a year, and I can’t believe that this is just now my first comment! This is one of my favorites to bring into the office. It was such a wonderful blend of flavors and it incorporated some of my favorite vegetables! Can’t wait to have it again!
I’m so glad you commented! Thanks for sharing how much you loved this recipe.
This recipe is delicious! It’s become our go-to multi-week night dinner. I’d like to increase the protein in it a bit, though. Any suggestions on what we could add? Chickpeas?
Hi Kate
I made this recipe yesterday and yes, it was just superb! Thank you. I love ratatouille but stopped making it some time ago as it just seemed to have too much oil, healthy as olive oil is, it was too much. Instead of grating the tomatoes, I blitzed it in the blender but this made the end result too red looking but very tasty nevertheless. So it is worth the effort to grate it. In the previous recipe I used, it asked to peel the tomatoes and de-seed it and this all seemed such a terrible waste of nutrients and time.
So thank you so much for this amazing recipe which has happily re-united me to one of my favourite veg dishes.
Felicia
I’m so happy you think it was worth the effort!
Cooked the Cookieand Kate Ratatouille recipe with wholemeal pasta for lunch and it was absolutely delicious;tge best Ratatouille recipe I’ve ever cooked. It’s nit tge quickest if recipes but was definitely worth the time
I’m glad you loved it!
I can also vouch fot your Seriously Good Vegetable Soup. Will definitely be cooking it again.
Wonderful!
My compliments! Brilliant idea, this time saving method! It does the job and is true to the methode nicoise. I personally prefer the vegetables a bit chunkier and have ratatouille sometimes as a side dish to a baked potato. Whereas your smaller chopped version is a perfect compliment to pasta, over (all kinds of) rice or over spaghetti squash (-delicious!) Great job! Keep on cooking!
My best,
Gerhard
Thank you, Gerhard!
Turned out really well. Would definitely make this dish again.
Made a slightly Greek Version of this recipe. I had all the veggies on hand to make Briam (roasted root Veggies) and was really wanting a soup/stew. Came across this recipe and merged the two.
Used Egg Plant, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Vadalia Onion and Garlic with the Tomato Sauce above. Used my Greek Herb Medley: Oregano, Basil, Marjoram, Thyme and Mint….I could hide in the closet and eat the whole pot by myself! Thanks for sharing your recipe and inspiring me!
Thanks for sharing, Julie!
100% 5 star it was fabulous! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Nancy!
We live in Japan and pan-fried all the ingredients, as we don’t have an oven (most apartments here just come with a tiny fish grill). It was delicious! The dish felt so full nutrients and flavour, perfect for a cold November day. It inspired my boyfriend and I to cook more vegetable dishes. In fact, I would like to try out at least one different dish from your website every week! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!!!
DELicious ! Served it over spaghetti noodles and my husband had seconds. Tomorrow’s lunch is ratatouille on a tortilla shell..
Thank you for sharing, Marie! I appreciate it.
Im so glad you want healthy things to taste good !
I made your maple bananna loaf because I knocked my resistance very low at Thanksgiving with too much sugar. Plus I had old banannas !
I’m so sick ! The bananna loaf was a soothing bed-time snack with cream cheese.
The rest is in the freezer, laid out so they won’t stick together. Yummy !
Im glad I found you today !!!
Thank you !!!
Mrs G
Food should taste good! Thank you for sharing and commenting, Mrs. G.
While eating this yummy dish, my daughter asked, “When are you making this again?” Thanks for sharing this!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing, Cheryl.
Once again, another fantastic recipe, another great meal because of cookieandkate. My wife and I both loved this – will definitely make it again.
Thank you for sharing, Todd!
This was so delicious! I left out the onion, swapped the garlic for garlic-infused oil, and adjusted the zucchini quantity slightly to make it FODMAP friendly. :) I will definitely be making it again, thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delish and the prep couldnt be easier. Skipped the eggplant bc I didnt have any and was still amazing! Thank you. New to cookie and kate but will try other recipes!
Thanks for sharing, Bonnie!
Yup! This is absolutely amazing! Completely agree about roasting the vegetables. We had no leftovers!!! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kristen! I’m glad you loved it.
Does this recipe freeze well?
Just made this for my boyfriend’s daughter who is vegan and coming for Christmas. We both tasted it and wow! Sweet and buttery and just yummy and relatively easy to make. I hope she is as impressed as I am. Plus I know it’ll be better tomorrow!!
I’m glad you all loved it, Janis! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate, this the best recipe instruction I have ever seen ! Thank you so much for the time you took over this. I liked the inclusion of the weight of the vegetable, it helps with proportions. I liked the summary at the start so I sort of knew where I’m going without having to read the whole thing. I appreciated the detail on swapping the shelves about. This absolutely was not labour intensive – far from it. Chop a few veg, line a couple of baking sheets, blitz the tomatoes, that’s about it, and a very quick clean up . Yes it took time to cook, but you co-ordinated everything beautifully, so every thing went well even though I was interrupted. A pleasure to cook and delightful to eat. Thank you again.
You’re welcome, Julia! I’m happy you are excited about this one.
2nd time making this! Everyone loves it! thanks!
Just made this for the first time and I must say, this is so full of flavor. I feel like I am in an Italian restaurant! Smells so good but tastes even better. I can’t wait for my husband to walk through the door and comment on the smells!!! Thanks for this recipe!
It just wasn’t detailed enough. It doesn’t give cooking times or how to ‘make a simple tomatoes sauce. Doesn’t say how big to cut the veg. I could have git more from the ingredients list on a tin of ratatouille.
Hi Jean, I’m sorry you are frustrated. But, this recipe provides all that you listed. The bake times for the vegetables are in the steps listed with the specific vegetable. Also, the directions for the tomatoes are listed in step 2 & 6.