Ratatouille
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs.
Hailing from Provence, a region in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea, ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew made with eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes. It is rich with the flavor of olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs. Making it properly takes a bit of time, so I suggest cooking a big batch over the weekend. That way, you’ll have a tasty and colorful base for meals throughout the week. With a little imagination, there are endless ways to use ratatouille, such as:
- As a vegetarian main course over grains or polenta
- Alongside roasted or grilled meats and fish
- Shakshuka-style with poached eggs
- Tossed with pasta
- Folded into omelets or frittatas
- Dolloped over crostini with goat cheese
- Straight from the fridge as a snack (it’s delicious cold)
What You’ll Need To Make Ratatouille
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.
How To Make Ahead & Freeze Ratatouille
If possible, you should make ratatouille at least a day ahead of time — like most stews, the taste 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 or frozen for up to 3 months for a taste of summer once the cooler weather arrives. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Corn, Zucchini, and Tomatoes with Goat Cheese
- Zucchini Fritters with Feta & Dill
- Sautéed Zucchini & Cherry Tomatoes
- Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Caramelized Onions
- Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Easy and very tasty dish all loved it. I added a hand full of rosted pine nuts which gave the dish some crunch.
Phenomenal! My entire family devoured it. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe! The only modification I made was I reduced the amount of olive oil, using 2.5 tbsp for the eggplant, 1 tbsp for the zucchini, and 1 tbsp for the peppers and onions.
Admittedly, this recipe was time consuming: as a novice chef, it took me closer to 1h 45m total. However, the end result was—without a shadow of a doubt— worth the effort. Thanks again!
Oh, and on my previous review, I forgot to say that even though it is time consuming, it’s so worth it!!
This is absolutely delicious!! We have 4 adults in our household who are voracious eaters…especially the two men ;)…and this went over exceptionally well.
I used dried thyme as opposed to fresh and also put basil into the dish while cooking.
I’m really hoping for leftovers to tomorrow.
Tastes lovely. The only problem is that the sauce ended up with lots of pieces of tomato skin through it. I highly recommend skinning the tomatoes before cooking. It would also be just as good using tinned tomatoes or passata- this was the first time I have used fresh tomatoes, and to be honest it didn’t taste any better and was a lot more work!
My family loved this. I even added some prawns to it right at the end.
Excellent vegetable dish. Love this dish even better the next day. Lunch time I put it on top a piece of toasted bread and crumble some feta. All my picky eaters loved it. I have made so many of your excellent recipes and I have told my friends and family where to find them. Your Book has been ordered months ago and can’t wait.
So glad you like this, Goga! (And thanks for your support with the cookbook ❤️)
This is clean, healthy eating at its best. The recipe is perfect and needs no changes to make it better. It’s flavourful, easy to pull together and better even better if it sits a bit. Great room temperature on toasted baguette slices as an appetizer.
I made this recently and had it for lunch all week! I made a few adjustments, but only because of the ingredients I had on hand. I used 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning (no salt added) instead of fresh tomatoes and I used dried basil. I actually had fresh thyme, and I’m glad I did! I think I used a little less oil but I didn’t measure. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
I just finished making this dish. It’s delicious. Fresh tasting and healthy. It is a bit time consuming but well worth it.
This was very easy to make. I was surprised how much flavour it had. I served it with turkish bread. I will make this regularly.
I made this last night and I can’t wait to eat it for lunch! I made a few adjustments, but only because of the ingredients I had on hand. I used 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning (no salt added) instead of fresh tomatoes and I used dried basil. I actually had fresh thyme, and I’m glad I did! I think I used a little less oil but I didn’t measure. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
So glad I found your recipe. The version I was doing turned it all into a delicious mushy dish. Will be trying this one next time I hit Sprouts. Never realized it was so low in calories either. Love that you put the nutritional value on here. I’m calorie counting and always hungry, so I know this will fill me up.
Perfect recipe for late summer, early to late fall: use up all those yummy garden overflow veggies. Love this dish. Husband and I try to eat health, eliminating processed foods and limiting dairy, so am loving this dish.
When you freeze this for future use do you let it set in the refrigerator for a day first then freeze it so that the flavors are better when it is thawed? Or just freeze it right away?
Hi Susan, It’s fine to freeze it right away (just let it cool completely first). Hope you enjoy!
Amazing recipe! This was my first time making Ratatouille. I didn’t have a bell pepper so I left it out, added a package of fresh mushrooms, and used a mixture of tomatoes I had. Also use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and dried basil since I didn’t have any fresh. First I’ve cooked eggplant that turned out so yummy. Will definitely make it again.
Jenn, this is the best recipe for ratatouille that I have tried & I have tried many. Even my husband likes it & he does not like eggplant or zucchini. Many thanks.
So glad you all enjoyed it, Mary!
I’m excited to try this recipe! I have tried a bunch of different ways to make ratatouille and I like how you do everything on the stove on this one. Cool!
Made this yesterday and I had only had ratatouille once at a restaurant. This was just as amazing. We had it night one with just pieces of baguette. Second night we mixed it into elbow pasta and we still couldn’t get enough. Lots of chopping but it’s so worth it!
Delicious. A great way to use up all the fresh garden vegetables in the fall. This has a lot more flavour than many other ratatouille recipes I have tried.
Unlike some of the other Ratatouille recipes that I’ve tried, this recipe is a keeper. The leftovers were even tastier than when it was first made. Thanks for sharing….
Forgot to add 5 stars….
I made this recipe for both my son and I and we loved it. I served it over polenta with feta cheese on top..delicious!
Ratatouille is one of my favorite dishes and this recipe is now my favorite.
I love this recipe! All the fresh ingredients roasted up together makes for a great main course with poached eggs and a hardy bread wedge to have a satisfying meal.
Will cherry tomatoes work? I have a bunch of them in my garden
Yes, I think they’d work. (I’d suggest halving them.) Enjoy!
Very good but nothing super special, a little lacking in flavor, would add more herbs.
Taking your time with this dish is a must but it is totally worth it. I used very little oil because I do not like greasy ratatouille and it was so delicious. Top grilled salmon with it and you have a perfect end of summer dinner!
This recipe is FAB ! ! !
I have served it with grilled salmon and also grilled blade pork. It is also nice to sprinkle a bit of zaatar on top of leftovers to serve as an appetizer with toasted pita wedges.
Another great recipe, Jenn. Thank you.
Kathy
Windsor, Ontario
Canada
This was absolutely delicious. I grew my own eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes which was that much better. 👍❤️
Absolutely delicious addition to our Solar Eclipse celebration on Aug.21st! Everyone loved this dish! It’s nice to have something so tasty that can be made ahead of time! The favors are dynamite!
Would it be possible to use the entire small can of tomato paste instead of using a tbs of tomato paste and fresh tomatoes? Or is that not recommended? Trying to save some money…
Hi Nicole, Because of the chunky texture of this recipe, I wouldn’t recommend replacing the tomatoes with tomato paste, but I do think you could use canned diced tomatoes here and get a great result.
5 star
Made it with fresh squash, zucchini, onions, and basil from the garden. Added a little mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Absolutely delicious. I will make this again and again. Thanks for a great recipe!
What type of squash did you use?
We just had this for lunch using fresh vegetables out of our garden. Fabulous! Only modifications – I peeled the eggplant and tomatoes because I don’t care for the skin. I also added a jalapeno since I didn’t want it to go to waste. Wonderful lunch served with crusty garlic bread.
If you have not tried this recipe yet please do. It is delicious and filling. I went to my local farm stand and purchased all fresh ingredients! This is the second time I have made it. We used the leftovers for lunch the following day and then I sautéed a cup full and topped with an egg and had it for breakfast. Jenn, I love your website. You are a fabulous Chef and I so enjoy cooking your recipes.
Delicious! I’ve been enjoying it so many ways: side dish, shakshuka style for Sunday brunch, straight from the fridge. My husband even enjoyed it and he’s not a big fan of eggplant and tomatoes. Can’t wait to make it again.
Wow, really delicious. Served with polenta. Thanks, Jen, for another great recipe.
the tomatoes…please clarify…you say do not seed and save the juice…am I using as is or am I squeezing out the juice and using it later. Want to make iot tomorrow so I hope that you can answer my query, Thanks, carol
Hi Carol, Sorry for the confusion. I’ve updated the recipe. You just want to use all of the tomatoes — seeds and juices included. Hope that clarifies :).
Cut my veggies a little bigger, about 1/2 inch…labor intensive, but great. Had it for lunch, cold with feta cheese and served it over pasta. Everyone loved it
I made this and it is delicious! My daughter usually dislikes tomatoes but she had seconds. I served it with naan and am looking forward to eating it for lunch this week!
This recipe is OUTSTANDING. This is the first time I’ve had ratatouille & it’s so delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Some of the best summer flavors ever.
For your readers who want to cut down preparation to under 10 minutes, I’ve used the same ingredients many times but use a large casserole dish. Just slice vegies 1/4″ thick, EVOO bottom of dish, first layer eggplant, then zucchini, onion, bell peppers, & tomatoes. No need to peel vegies. Drizzle each layer with EVOO, salt & pepper & thinly sliced garlic, Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until soft. Can cover for first half of the time. Best flavor obtained when eaten warm, not too hot, and also good cold.
I’ve also just thrown all the vegies on a baking sheet, tossed with EVOO & salt & pepper and roasted at 400 for 45-60 minutes. Do not slice garlic cloves, leave whole and use about 12. Slice eggplant & zucchini a little thicker, cut onions & tomatoes each in about 6-8 wedges depending on size, & peppers in 1/2″ strips. Toss vegies a couple of time while roasting. They caramelize for added flavor.
Both methods take only minutes to prepare. Casserole creates more juice. Hope you try one. One of my favorite summer side dishes.
Omg I made this dish and it was absolutely delicious, my son walked to the kitchen following the aroma of garlic and olive oil, I used fresh veggies from farmers markets, I didn’t change a thing from the recipe.
I boiled pasta penne and mixed with some of the ratatouille, sprinkled Parmesan and it was amazing, and satisfying food, also with homemade corn chips at room temperature! Thank you for sharing
This was excellent! I followed fairly precisely, save for only one pepper and used a large cast iron skillet. Everyone loved it, except for my non-vegetable eating 14 year old son. 😉 We have a reasonable amount of leftovers, which I am planning to cook with eggs (as suggested) tomorrrow morning. The chopping was also much easier and more uniform with the use of my “As Seen On TV” Chop Wizard. I highly recommend this recipe! I will definitely make this again. Thanks Jenn!
Hi Jenn! I’ve got almost everything prepped to cook shortly. If you happen to read this I have a quick question. I don’t have a large non-stick pan. Would you recommend at stainless steel (chicken frying) pan or a large cast iron pan?
Thanks!
Hi Susan, Either one will work. The eggplant may stick a little in the stainless steel pan but it’s easy to scrape up with a metal spatula. Enjoy!
A perfect summertime recipe! The best part of this recipe is the taste and texture of the vegetables. I served it to a friend who is a very good cook. She loved how the zucchini still had a little crunch. Extra fresh herbs really gave it a great kick. I served it with a chicken sausage and made a great meal. Perfect without meat too.
Hi Jen,
This sounds delicious!
Could I use canned diced tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes?
Definitely 🙂
My husband doesn’t eat eggplant. What would you suggest as a substitute?
I’d use more peppers or squash. Enjoy!
I am looking forward to trying this, what protein dish do you recommend with this?
Hi Christina, I’d serve it will grilled steaks, chicken or fish. The ratatouille is basically a sauce and side dish all in one, so best to keep the main dish simple.
omg haven’t made this in years. I printed your recipe since mine is ‘somewhere’ and this looks mouth watering delicious. As soon as your email popped up and saw Ratatouille, I told my friend I’m going to make it, but this time I’m going to roast the veggies in the oven as I know how labor intensive it is, but well worth it. Love the idea of yellow peppers as green peppers and me do not get along. My old version I added mushrooms and some hot Italian sausage, but for a meatless dish, this is ideal. Thanks for all your wonderful emails. Happy summer!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe this summer! Should the tomatoes be peeled or did you use them with skins on? Also, would canned diced tomatoes work? (For winter time when we don’t have our own tomatoes)
Thanks!
Hi Becky, No need to peel or seed the tomatoes — and yes, I think canned tomatoes would work very well.
Thanks for the info! That helps.
I don’t eat bell peppers. Can I just add more onions or do you have another suggestion?
It’s fine to just leave out the pepper, Judi – no other changes necessary. Enjoy!
I have made this dish many time, so easy to prepare. I toss all veggies on a foil lined sheet pan, stir in oil and seasonings and roast in the oven. I love the caramelization. Clean up is minimal, just put veggies in food container and toss foil.
Very nice recipe chef 👍👌👏. Thank you for your effort 🌹🌞😎.