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
Itโs ratatouille season! Ratatouille is a classic end-of-summer French stew thatโs fun to say (rat-tuh-TOO-ee) and fun to make. Itโs 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 itโs 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. Weโre going to roast the vegetables until theyโre deliciously caramelized on the edges and a little dehydrated (no squeaky or mushy zucchini here). Then, weโll add those perfectly roasted veggies to a simmering fresh tomato sauce.
This method yields amazing ratatouille. My husband says itโs the best heโs ever had. Itโs also easier to make than proper stovetop ratatouille, since it requires less time standing over the stove. Hooray!
5 Reasons to Love Ratatouille
- Itโs a great way to use up a surplus of late-summer veggies. If you come home from the farmersโ market with too much, make ratatouille.
- Ratatouille turns basic vegetables into magic. Even if you donโt typically love eggplant or summer squash, I bet youโll enjoy this ratatouille.
- Itโs 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 Disneyโs 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. Weโll 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 didnโt 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 itโs 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. Weโre 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. Donโt skip it!
Fresh Basil & Seasonings
Weโll finish off our ratatouille with a handful of chopped basil, which livens up our stew with fresh flavor. Weโll also add a sprinkle of dried oreganoโcrumble 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
Youโll find the full rundown in the recipe below. Donโt be intimidated by the length of the recipeโitโs not hard. Hereโs 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 theyโre 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 ratatouilleโyou 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. Hereโs what youโll need (these are affiliate links):
- Two large, rimmed baking sheets for roasting your vegetables. These pans (called โhalf-sheet pansโ) are the perfect size for roasting one pound of diced eggplant without overlap. They are what all professional recipe developers use, theyโre 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! Itโs 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 ยฝ-inch cubes
- 1 large red, orange, or yellow bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut into ยพ-inch squares
- 1 medium-to-large zucchini (about 8 ounces), diced into ยฝ-inch cubes
- 1 large yellow squash (about 8 ounces), diced into ยฝ-inch cubes
- 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ยพ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, more to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ยผ cup chopped fresh basil
- ยผ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
- ยผ 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 ยผ 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 ยผ 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 ยผ 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 ยผ 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 ratatouilleโs flavor improves as it cools. Itโs 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 nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Your recipe looks delish! I make this all the time but I use mushrooms and have never tried yellow squash which I will next time! Its a great way to use garden zucchini and tomatoes. Thanks for this delish recipe.
Hi Catherine, I hope you enjoy this version! It is perfect when summer produce is at its peak.
Hi Kate! Made it, LOVE it!!! Thank you so much!!!!
I learned the basics of ratatouille when I was in college, staying over the summers, to work. One of the women I was working with had us kids over for ratatouille, and I got the recipe from her. This would be summer 1967. Iโve made it many times. I donโt use oregano, but I do use lots of fresh basil and almost as much Italian parsley. I will try your innovation of roasting the veggies, and see how it goes. One thing I wanted to mention is that it makes a delicious quiche! Use a ten-inch pie plate and fit in a standard wheat crust. Put a handful of shredded parmesan cheese over the bottom. Spoon in about three cups of ratatouille. I spend some time distributing the veggies loosely, so no slice of quiche would have only eggplant or only zucchini in it. I use Julia Childโs proportions of egg and milk to make the custard, and pour it over the veggies. I scatter more parmesan over the top and bake it. Just delicious.
Hi Meredith, thanks for your suggestion of using it in a quiche.
I only have 1 sheet pan! Can I use a glass 10x 15 Pyrex baking dish as the second one or do I need to use the 1 sheet pan twice?
Hi Bibb, baking sheets are better at conducting heat, which produces crispier, evenly browned vegetables. Pyrex dishes can trap steam, which prevents the vegetables from browning at an even rate. They will be โmushierโ if you use the Pyrex.
Itโs WORTH the investment to buy the right sheet pans. I made this for a friend of mine who had just returned from FRANCE! He was afraid that this recipe would be as tasteless as his France ratatouille experience had been. He took SECONDS because this one was superior to his FRANCE experience. No regrets. You will use the baking sheets over and over, because you will keep making THIS recipe over and over. Get the right pans and donโt look back. :)
I made this today and it was absolutely delicious. Roasting the vegetables makes it so flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.
Hi Connie, Iโm glad you enjoyed it! I find that roasting concentrates the flavor of the vegetables. Itโs also essential to the texture of the dish.
Today was my 2nd time making this recipe. Husband & son loved it too! Roasting the veggies are what keeps it from getting mushy. I served it as a side & also later on over bowtie pasta. Itโs sooo delicious!!
Loved the recipe! We changed it up the second night by adding sweet basil pasta to it. Delicious.
Iโm going to try this on the stovetop. I have lots of zucchini from my one garden zucchini plant. And I have an eggplant now and then from my garden. I strongly prefer not to use the oven in the summer.
Hi Jeri, The roasting of the vegetables is the key to the great texture in the ratatouille. There are days I donโt want to turn on my oven, too! If you can save this recipe for a cooler day or roast earlier or later instead of at the warmest part of the day, I think youโll really find it makes a difference. Best of luck with your stovetop method if you go that route.
I never thought to roast the vegetables. Itโs a real game changer. The only thing I didnโt do is blitz the tomatoes. I wanted to save some clean up and in my experience they cook down to a sauce easily just by chopping them.
Being Greek, we prefer our food at room temperature so I did not serve it piping hot for dinner. Tomorrow for breakfast I will warm it slightly from the refrigerator and have it with my eggs . Great suggestion!
Hi Paula, Iโm so glad the roasted vegetables worked for you. That sounds like a wonderful addition to eggs for breakfast.
All we can say is fantastic! Every mouthful was layered with excitement for the taste buds. Congratulations well done
Loved it. Had more zucchini than eggplant though but it was wonderful. I also used fresh oregano and added fresh parsley too.
This recipe is absolutely amazing. I used veggies from my garden for this and it turned out incredible. I highly suggest following the salt recommendations. So flavorful and my kitchen smells incredible.
This recipe is absolutely amazing. I used veggies from my garden for this and it turned out incredible. I highly suggest following the salt recommendations. So flavorful and my kitchen smells incredible. Best recipe ever.
I think Iโve made this recipe every year for at least five years now. My kids can be fussy but even they eat it up. I start thinking about making ratatouille even in early July, just dreaming about mid-to-late August when the vegetables are in season. My wife insists I make the triple portion, now, and she and I cook our eggs in it like shakshuka for days after with the leftovers.
Hi James, Iโm so glad you enjoy this! I love the idea of using it a shakshuka base with eggs.
I use your blog soooo much, and I have your cookbook as well. Your recipes are fantastic!
Do you think I could roast the veggies the day before? Or itโs better to wait and cook everything the same day?
Hi Jen, thank you for the kind words. Roasting the veggies a day ahead should be fine.
I have been making this for years; I love it just as it is โ my favorite C&K recipe. I have recently started freezing it without the herbs and adding them when I reheat it. Sometimes I add vegetable broth and white beans to make soup, or instead of the traditional herbs, I will add baharat (middle eastern spice mix) and chickpeas (with or without broth). (Baharatatouille). Itโs become a staple in my freezer. And yes โ I do often serve it in its original, unadulterated form.
I just made this for friends who had been to France this year. They reported that this was SUPERIOR to what they were served in France. They ate seconds!
I have never had ratatouille before, but had some eggplant and tomatoes from our garden and wanted to test it out. This was amazing!! I made an egg over easy and put it on top with a bit of grated parmesan. Perfection!
Added a few tablespoons of tomato paste, a little balsamic, and cooked down the tomatoes to make for a deeper and darker sauce. All fresh vegetables from this morningโs nearby farmers market. The end result was absolutely superb. Roasting all the vegetables takes a bit of time, but it was definitely worth it. Thanks for this lighter and fresher take on an old classic!
Loved it! The roasting really solves the problem of โrubberyโ eggplant.
Hi Danielle, yes, roasting really unlocked my love of eggplant! Iโm glad this worked for you.
I have returned to this recipe for several years now, and itโs proven to be one of my favourite recipes ever. I love the flavour of the caramelized vegetables that comes from the roasting step, and itโs a great way to use up veggies we get in our farm box in late summer. Our favourite way to eat it is with roasted salmon placed on top, and then broken up and mixed in the ratatouille as we eat. Freezes well, too!
Amazing and so much easier than other recipes Iโve made in the past for this dish. Just made with CSA and farm market end of summer bounty. Toasted sourdough in EVO, rubbed with garlic, smeared on ricotta and this ratatouille. Incredible.
Thanks so much, Kate, for all the wonderful recipes!
Serving this with toasted sourdough and ricotta sounds incredible! Iโm gald you enjoyed it and were able to take advantage of your late summer CSA produce.