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Ratatouille

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Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs.

Spoon in a dish of Ratatouille.

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

Ratatouille ingredients including tomato paste, zucchini, and bell pepper.

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.

Eggplant cooking in a skillet.

Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

cooked eggplant for ratatouille

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.

Zucchini cooking in a skillet.

Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.

cooked zucchini ratatouille

Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onion and bell pepper.

onions and peppers

Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Onion and bell pepper in a skillet.

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.

Tomatoes in a skillet with bell peppers and onions.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes.

cooked tomatoes ratatouille

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.

eggplant tomatoes ratatouille

Add the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

zucchini eggplant tomatoes ratatouille

Sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme, drizzle with a little olive oil if desired, and serve warm or chilled.

Basil in a skillet with ratatouille.

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

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Spoon in a dish of Ratatouille.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs.

Servings: 8 (Makes about 7 cups)
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Skip the tomato paste absolutely not needed, nor, traditional.
    It gives an unpleasant taste to the dish.
    The addition of sugar does not negate this acidy contrary to some urban myths.

  • Just made this to use up the last of my summer veggies. It is so delicious! Feels hearty yet fresh and not weighed down. And the olive oil flavor is so nice. I didn’t have any fresh herbs so I used dried and it turned out just fine. I also love the suggestions at the top for more ways to serve it!
    Your recipes are always so consistent and easy to follow, and turn out so well.

  • I made this today with zucchini and eggplant from the garden. I didn’t have fresh tomatoes so I used a 26 ounce box of Pomi chopped tomatoes. They worked well in the recipe. I served it over pasta. Everyone loved it! Another great recipe Jenn 🙂

  • Perfect recipe for Ratatouille! Cooking the eggplant and zucchini separately to their own crispy-tender stages is key. I didn’t want to open a can of tomato paste, so thickened the sauce to keep it from being watery with a bit of cornstarch: I mixed the sugar with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, then mixed in 2 tablespoons of water and added that, stirring into the thickened tomato mixture. After that, I added back the eggplant and zucchini to simmer, topped it with fresh chopped basil and a dash of olive oil to serve. Excellent.

  • Just got back from the Farmer’s market with a basket of Roma tomatoes. No idea on weight so not sure how many Roma tomatoes (average size) would work instead of 5 tomatoes at 1.74 lbs. Thinking 6 or 7? Thanks!

    • — Cheryl Moss Herman
    • Reply
    • Hi Cheryl, I’d go with 7. Enjoy!

  • Hi there …use so many of your wonderful recipes. This is ‘delish”, only change, I added grated Gruyere cheese on top & popped in oven til melted, another layer of savory ! Love making this in layers to keep the eggplant from “mush”. Thank you !

    • Sounds delish with the cheese! 🙂

  • Wonderful blend of flavors! Made this for a teacher friend that is so stressed with back to school. We both loved this and I had some for breakfast!

    • How nice to do for your friend — glad you both enjoyed! 🙂

    • Made it twice since September 1. Recipe is awesome.
      Served it with fettuccini one night, polenta another and lastly cheese tortellini. Froze several quart bags.

    • I absolutely loved this Ratatouille!!! I served it on toasted sourdough bread with a sprinkle of goat cheese and a few pine nuts accompanied by a nice French Rosé! A real keeper!!

      • — Annie-Claude T.
      • Reply
  • So delicious and love all the flavours. I followed the recipe as written, except I substituted for dry thyme instead of fresh. I wil defitenely make this again.

  • Great recipe! For leftovers, i add a stock and call it veg soup, add small pasta/stock and call it minestrone.

    • Great ideas!

  • This recipe is excellent! I followed it exactly and it was simply lovely. A wonderful way to enjoy all the beautiful vegetables of the garden, in one delicious dish. We served it with steak and good buttered bread. Thank you for posting this! Can’t wait to try it cold tomorrow!

    • — Stephanie Harris
    • Reply
  • 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.
    https://postimg.cc/RWV3PK2P

  • 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 😀

  • Absolutely loved this recipe & cooked it for “vegan night,” which is a new once-a-week adventure for us. It was divine! I’ve made at least 15 of your recipes and all have come out wonderfully the first time. You have made cooking fun for me. Thank you, Jen!

  • This is the second recipe I have made from this site and both were outstanding. Next time I am looking for a recipe this will be my go to.

  • I have tried several ratatouille recipes and none have come out as good — or as consistently great! — as this one. Thanks so much. There’s something about the bright simplicity of it. And how the flavor just gets better the next day. Yours has been my go-to recipe for a while now. Last night I made a double recipe for a crowd that includes both omnivores and vegetarians — a lot of whom hadn’t ever had ratatouille before — and everybody *loved* it. So glad I doubled the recipe because the first pot (had to use two!) went! There would have been no leftovers to enjoy if I hadn’t. And that would be a calamity!

  • Thank you! I’ve been wanting to make Ratatouille ever since the Pixar film came out. It looked so yummy. I made your recipe and loved it! It’s a staple now. Thank you!

    I posted a photo but forgot to tag you. I’ll tag next tine I make. I’ll definitely make this often.

    • — Michelle Calderon
    • Reply
    • Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

  • A winner! And a good recipe to practice knife skills:)

  • Just made this & it is wonderful, I am sure it will be even better tomorrow. Not hard to make.👏

    • — Eleanor. Ceder
    • Reply
  • I dug this ratatouille out of my freezer today (made it in Aug 2019) and it was just as delicious as the day I made it. It was so nice to have a taste of summer during these dreary times! Thanks Jenn – I love this recipe and will have it again tomorrow with your artisan bread 🙂

  • This is a little embarrassing, Jenn, because I’ve been using your recipes for years (I never even go off your page on my iPhone Safari…ever, I just keep it up as one of my pages and never close it). I made the Ratatouille tonight. My daughter (11) helped. Trying to teach her some good basic cooking skills. I followed the recipe pretty well but added a can of rinsed garbanzo beans. Served it over quinoa. It was a hit. I hate altering a recipe and then giving it a review because, we’ll, it’s sort of no longer the recipe but I love garbanzo beans and try to sneak them in for fiber for my family (not that this wouldn’t have a lot of fiber as is). I also used shallots instead of onion because when I sent my daughter to the fridge for onion, she came out with shallots so I said, “yes, we can use those, are there 2 more?” And there were. My daughter can tell this is a healthy recipe and even commented that this is the food you want to be eating to stay as healthy as possible. Reading your recipes together and cooking with my daughter gives us so much joy. Pretty much every recipe you put together is a winner in our books. Love the potato leek soup 🙂
    Your very appreciative fan, Alison Rowat (and her daughter Caroline Cready!!)

    • So glad you enjoy the recipes and that they play a small part in spending quality time with your daughter! 🙂

  • I just made this more or less. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make a ratatouille or a caponata so I looked at a half dozen recipes and I decided what techniques and ingredients I wanted to use. It was mostly this recipe with some celery, capers, and toasted pine nuts from caponata recipes. I used a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes along with a fresh tomato and some chunky tomato sauce, based on what I had on hand. From my garden I used fresh basil, thyme, mint, and oregano. I love how the eggplant got soft but the squash and celery stayed crisp. I served it over some rustic no knead bread that I baked for an appetizer along with linguine and eggplant parmesan. We loved it. It’s like a garden in a bowl!

    • Thank you so much for this recipe! It was absolutely delish! loved it so much, will be making it many more times. I don’t cook much, but trying to make more an effort these days and I’m a vegetarian so this is perfect.

  • So good! This tastes fresh and tasty no matter when you are eating it! Yet another incredible recipe on this site and I strongly recommend it, especially for a vegetarian or vegan (like myself)! If you’ve seen the Pixar film based on this dish, you simply must try this. And even if you haven’t seen the movie, I’m sure you should try this as well!

  • Another amazing recipe from Jenn! This site has become my go-to whenever I need new ideas for what to make. Her recipes are always spot on and delicious, this dish is no exception! For this recipe I used some fresh thyme and then added a lot of fresh chopped Italian parsley when I put in the squash at the end. Yum. I’m looking forward to leftovers!

  • Delicious. I have away and on my return saw that the eggplant, peppers and zucchini looked bit like they needed cooking up and your ratatouille was the answer.
    ,

  • First time ever making this and I make it for my entire family of 14. Had my daughters chopping all the veggies with me. Made a huge pot the night before. My family loved it so much there was none left to take home. Here’s the cool part, every vegetable in this recipe was a part of my entire childhood. My dad grew all of them in his garden in Georgia, but we never knew about this stew. Absolutely brilliant! Thank you for such an easy recipe to follow.

  • Turned out SO good. Subbed a can of petite diced tomatoes for the fresh. Perfect for vegan dinner party!

  • Loved it & so did the family. Served it over rice.

  • Made this 2 days ago with the last of my gardens eggplant I used crushed tomatoes as I forgot to buy fresh. Had it last night with some polenta and Parmesan cheese. Great taste! Will make next time with some roasted cherry tomatoes to bump up the flavor. Also will try heated with goat cheese on baguette for lunch today. Thanks!

  • Fantastic recipe. I’ve been making ratatouille for many years and this is the ONLY one in which the vegetables maintain their shape and flavor! I used plum tomatoes, but otherwise essentially no changes.

  • Jenny once again you nailed it- simple and pure taste -absolutely delicious- I serve the on a bed of basmati rice with crispy skinned chicken thighs- it was better than anything I could get in a restaurant (around here anyway lol) but really you bring the restaurant into our homes-you are the real deal- always turn to you when I want a sure bet on a meal- thank you!!

    • So glad you enjoyed this Liz — your sweet comments made my day! 💗

  • Made this yesterday came out very well it was really tasty added over rice will make it again

  • I made this dish the last week in August (or before), and it made 2 quarts.
    We ate the first quart in the first couple of days, and it was good but a little bit bitter.
    Fast forward to today, 6+ weeks later, and I pulled it out for a quick pasta lunch with my sister.
    Yes, there was a little bit of mold on the top, but had been kept in a very cold refridgerator. So I removed 1/2 of the quart jar and heated up the rest!
    My sister was blown away, it was so good. The bitterness was gone, and the parmesan and black pepper made a nice finish.
    I have to eat gluten free, and we used a nice brown rice fettucini. Absolutely delish.
    The next time I make it, I will freeze half right away.
    We thought it would be awesome as a pasta course for a big Italian dinner.
    Thank you Jenn!
    I know you would ‘t recommend eating something that has started to go moldy, but it was just a tiny bit on the top! So glad we ate it!

  • I have made this recipe twice this year, both times doubled it and froze what we didn’t immediately eat. It lasts much longer than 3 months in the freezer. It is absolutely wonderful as a stand-alone entree, side dish, or as an addendum to a stew containing meat. I don’t change a thing. I appreciate that the weight of the vegetables is included.

  • So delicious, I’ve made it several times and it’s one of my favorite end of summer recipes. But the best way to use the leftovers? Roll out some store-bought pizza dough, spread this on top, add a good cheese mix…ratatouille pizza! Simply the best.

  • Thanks, Jen! I thought about doing that but wasn’t sure about flavors melding, however think the flavors of this ratatouille are so rich that another can of tomatoes will make friends easily!

    Geni

    • — Geni Rowan-Grella
    • Reply
  • Hi Jen, I’ve just made this ratatouille and it is absolutely delicious! I didn’t see your suggestion to sub a 28 oz can of tomatoes for the fresh and used a 14.5 oz so the finished product is a tad dry. What would you suggest to loosen it up a bit? (It’s so good that just using it the way it is and piling it on toasted French bread as some have suggested also sounds divine!)

    Thanks for another winner, Jen!

    Geni

    • — Geni Rowan-Grella
    • Reply
    • Hi Geni, You could just add another 14.5 oz can of tomatoes to the mix. They won’t have absorbed the other flavors like the remainder of the ratatouille, but if you stir it thoroughly before serving, you won’t even notice!

  • Delicious! I added sun squash to the recipe to add color, it’s beautiful. I cooked it with the zucchini. Also added fresh rosemary and oregano, and served it on lentils mixed with couscous. Could be good toped with crumbled feta cheese too 🙂 Very nice way to celebrate harvest time!

  • Wow! This is an amazing dish. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you, Jenn!

  • First time making ratatouille – always thought it would be a daunting task – but neighbor gave me 2 small eggplant so I gave it a shot. This came out excellent! Lots of chopping but only one skillet and the timing was perfect – none of the veggies came out too soft. I used a LOT of fresh thyme and basil from my garden. No tomatoes so substituted one can of chopped. Thank you!

  • Great recipe, easy and so flavorful!

  • I made this last night to use up some of the overwhelming number of vegetables we’ve received in our CSA share. I was a little hesitant because I tend to think of ratatouille as being kind of mushy and gross, but this was fantastic!! The zucchini (and some summer squash because we have so much) kept its texture and the eggplant was tender but not mushy. We served over fresh fettuccine, and my daughter and I crumbled goat cheese on top while my husband had fresh grated parmesan. I’m excited to have some of the leftovers for lunch today, especially since some of the other commenters said the flavors are even better the next day, and we’ll have the rest tomorrow night over couscous (it makes a LOT of food).

  • I made this with my son because he loves the movie. We didn’t change a thing. It was outstanding, like summer in a bowl! We served it over pasta, but there are endless possibilities and the cold leftovers had a chunky gazpacho vibe that I found refreshing on a hot day. Thank you!

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