Ratatouille
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Ratatouille: the perfect way to enjoy all your favorite summer veggies. This vibrant stew combines eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes with the rich flavors of olive oil and garlic for a dish that’s both comforting and fresh.
Hailing from Provence, a sunny region in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea, ratatouille is a vibrant summer vegetable stew. This dish features eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes, all richly seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs. It takes some time to prepare, so making a large batch over the weekend is ideal. This way, you’ll have a tasty and colorful base ready for meals throughout the week.
Ratatouille is incredibly versatile. Serve it as a vegetarian main with grains or creamy polenta, alongside Italian sausage, grilled steak or cedar planked salmon, or tuck it into omelets or frittatas. It’s also fantastic spooned over crostini with a smear of goat cheese or even enjoyed cold from the fridge as a healthy snack.
Table of Contents
“What a great way to use the summer harvest. Enjoyed it with a little goat cheese on top. My husband loved it too – this is a keeper!”
What You’ll Need To Make Ratatouille
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the vegetables and adds flavor. A drizzle before serving really makes the dish shine.
- Eggplant, Zucchini, Bell Pepper, and Tomatoes: These core vegetables provide a mix of textures and flavors—eggplant adds meatiness, zucchini offers a mildly sweet flavor and tender-crisp texture, bell peppers bring sweetness and crunch, and tomatoes contribute tartness and moisture, creating a saucy base.
- Onion and Garlic: Essential aromatics that form a flavor foundation for the dish.
- Tomato Paste: Intensifies the tomato flavor, adds depth in color, and helps thicken the stew.
- Fresh Thyme and Basil: Thyme provides a subtle earthiness, while basil adds a fresh, sweet touch that really brightens up the dish.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional): Introduces a hint of heat, adjustable to taste preference.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by heating 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (no need to clean it). Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.
Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onion and bell pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more. Do not brown. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the cooked eggplant to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.
Add the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme.
Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired, and serve warm or chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! In fact, you should make ratatouille at least a day ahead of time if possible. Like most stews, the dish improves after the flavors have a chance to mingle in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days
Yes, ratatouille freezes very well. Make sure to cool it completely before transferring it to airtight containers or freezer bags. It can be stored in the freezer for up to three months for a taste of summer once the cooler weather arrives. Before using, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat gently to preserve the texture of the vegetables.
Cooking each vegetable separately before combining them in ratatouille ensures that each component cooks to the right texture and retains its distinct flavor. Different vegetables have varying cooking times; for instance, eggplants and peppers take longer to become tender compared to tomatoes and zucchini. By sautéing them individually, you can ensure they are all perfectly cooked.
Video Tutorial
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Ratatouille
Ratatouille: the perfect way to enjoy all your favorite summer veggies. This vibrant stew combines eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes with the rich flavors of olive oil and garlic for a dish that’s both comforting and fresh.
Ingredients
- 1 large (1¼ lbs) eggplant, cut into ⅓-inch cubes
- Salt
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb), cut into ⅓-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 5 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 5 large vine-ripened tomatoes (1¾ lbs), cut into ⅓-inch cubes, with their juices
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, plus more for serving
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (no need to clean it). Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.
- Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cooked eggplant to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is soft. Add the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme, drizzle with a little olive oil if desired, and serve warm or chilled. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Let the dish cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. (Keep in mind that the zucchini won't stay crisp after being frozen.) This is delicious served cold, or reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 153
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 392 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Amazing…like most of the recipes I have tried from your site! Another winner! I will definitely be making this again!
Thank you very much, that was perfect, I have just used tomato passata instead tomato paste for a better result.
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Excellent dish! As always, I appreciate the clear directions and love the finished product. Big hit in our house!
Super super delicious! Thanks a lot for the recipe. I’ve tried some other ratatouille recipes which all cost a lot more time but tasted much less amazing compared to this recipe! I followed the recipe exactly, very good idea to cook the vegetables in batches, so you don’t end up with a mushy mess. Served it over fluffy couscous with some creamy goat cheese sprinkled over it 10/10 vegetarian dish!
This is SUPER yummy!
I made this a day and a half ago, and it really just gets better and better. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about it and actually got up to eat a small bowl!
The only small changes I made were adding a few teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, and not using basil as we didn’t have any. It’s hard to believe this could be any tastier, but I imagine it will be with basil next time around.
We will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thank you, Jenn!
I’ve been making ratatouille since the 70’s! It was quite the exotic dish back then. My original recipe called for cooking all the vegetables separately, like this one. But over the years I started just throwing the veggies together, and thought that I had become “tired” of this dish. Au contraire! THIS is the way to make ratatouille. My only changes to the recipe were 1/2 as much eggplant (mine was small); only a pinch of dried thyme, 1/4 C each of chopped fresh basil and parsley added to the tomato mixture; and no tomato paste (none in the cupboard). And, the veggies I used were mostly approaching over-the-hill. And still, this was delicious! Served it along grilled, crispy chicken thighs, with multiple berry shortcake for dessert. Yum! This will be my go-to recipe and process from now on. Thank you, Jenn!
This recipe produces a lovely, chunky, flavorful dinner. I modified it a bit but found the basil and thyme proportions to be spot on. We served it with air-fryer gnocchi. Thank you for developing and posting this recipe! Happy cooking!
Your recipes are always perfect. Ratatouille is so delicious. Being from France originally I can say it’s the real thing. Not only I get your books but I write down all your recipes and follow them faithfully. They never fail. Thank you so much. I could bookmark on my IPad but I enjoy writing down your recipes in my book and going thru it often to find out what to cook the next day.
So good- used up a bunch of fresh vegetables, easy to make as all your recipes are
Another amazing recipe!! We are never disappointed with any recipe we’ve made from Once Upon a Chef. Thank you.
This is my absolute favorite recipe for ratatouille!
Yummy! First time I have tried making ratatouille, and this was amazing! Scrumptious! I did add some fresh basil to it and omitted the sugar, and the family loved every bit of it!
I first went to Julia Child as my source for making traditional ratatouille. Then, having made many successful recipes from Jenn, I decided to check here also to compare. So glad I did, as Jenn’s appeared to be simpler and included the addition of fresh herbs. I fresh, farm market veggies (except for the eggplant ) as well as our own fresh thyme and basil. To speed up the process, I used multiple skillets at the same time and then combined them at the end in a large dutch oven on the range top. It was a bit more pan washing for the sous chef (husband) but I liked the increased speed. It was delicious- we served as is, but offered with parmesan cheese optional. Family loved it and I will make again soon. Can’t wait to try it today per the suggestion that it is better made a day ahead. Thanks again Jenn for another terrific recipe 😀