Ratatouille Recipe

This traditional French Ratatouille recipe, which involves searing and slow-cooking fresh vegetables and herbs until creamy, is bursting with unbelievable flavors. I am beyond in love with this dish, and once you try it, you will be as well.

Determining which side dishes go with what main courses can sometimes be tough. However, my Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Asparagus will go with anything.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a classic French dish from the region of Provence. It consists of eggplant, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs that are quickly seared and then gently stewed. The result is a creamy, delicious mixture of fresh vegetables that serves as a wonderful main or side dish.

The vegetables in this dish can also vary depending on what’s in season and what’s available. While there are some versions of this recipe where everything is cooked together, I believe the individual searing of each ingredient will help to bring about the most flavor while keeping the consistency of the vegetables intact and not mushy or overcooked.

Ratatouille can be served cold or at room temperature. It is also commonly served as an appetizer with bread.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Oil — I used olive oil in this recipe. Other options are a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil, ghee, or clarified butter.
• Herbs — I stewed the ratatouille with fresh parsley and thyme and garnished it with thyme leaves when serving it. You can also use 4 to 5 leaves of fresh basil.
• Zucchini — This recipe calls for fresh zucchini. The only other option is to use yellow squash.
• Tomatoes — I used Roma tomatoes because they are solid, fresh tomatoes that can be used all year round, in addition to cherry tomatoes. If you are in peak tomato season, any fresh tomato will work. You can also use drained canned tomatoes in this ratatouille.
• Onion — You can use a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion. You will also need some whole garlic cloves.
• Eggplant – Any breed of fresh eggplant will work for this.
• Peppers — I use a combination of red and green bell peppers. You can also use orange or yellow bell peppers. Feel free to use any of the bell pepper colors alone or in combination.
• Seasonings – I used coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper. Crushed red pepper flakes were also garnished, but this is optional.
• Sugar — A small amount of granulated sugar is used to reduce bitterness and enhance the flavor of the onions and tomatoes.

How to Make Ratatouille

Prepare all the vegetables into medium to large-size dice.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large rondeau pot over high heat until it smokes lightly.

Next, add the eggplant, gently season with salt, and quickly sauté for 90 seconds, or just until 1 or 2 sides are browned. Set them aside on a plate in a single layer to cool slightly.

Pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and once it smokes, add in the zucchini gently season with salt, and sauté for 2 minutes or until 1 or 2 sides is browned. Set it aside on a separate plate in a single layer to cool slightly.

Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pot over medium heat and add the onions. Gently season with salt and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until they turn brown.

Turn the heat down to low and cook the onions for 10 minutes or until they are well-browned and tender.

Pour in the bell peppers, turn the heat to medium, and cook while stirring for 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant.

Next, add the tomatoes, sugar, parsley sprigs and leaves, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper. Stir the ingredients together add a lid and cook over low to medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tomatoes break down and form a thick-like sauce.

Add the eggplant and zucchini back in and cook over low to medium heat, occasionally stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the parsley and thyme sprigs and discard them.

Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve with an optional garnish of fresh thyme leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten within 15-20 minutes of making it.

How to Store: Cover and keep the ratatouille in the refrigerator for 5 days. This freezes well, covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for one day or until thawed.

How to Reheat: Heat two tablespoons of oil or lard in a large frying pan over high heat until it smokes lightly. Add the desired amount of ratatouille and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.

Chef Notes + Tips

• You can swap the fresh parsley and thyme for 2 teaspoons of each dry thyme.
• Any large, wide pot or pan will work for this recipe. However, it’s better to use something that can cover a large surface area so the vegetables can sear rather than steam.
• When I say gently season with salt, I mean a ¼ teaspoon.
• I almost always use Italian flat-leaf parsley. If it is not available, then curly parsley is fine.

More Vegetable Recipes

• German Red Cabbage
• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Green Beans Almondine
• Italian Spinach
• Roasted Carrots

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Ratatouille Recipe

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4.98 from 34 votes

This traditional Ratatouille recipe of seared and cooked fresh vegetables and herbs until creamy is bursting with unbelievable flavors.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large diced medium-sized eggplant
• 2 large diced medium-sized zucchini
• 1 peeled large diced yellow onion
• 1 seeded large diced red bell pepper
• 1 seeded large diced green bell pepper
• 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves
• 7 to 8 large diced Roma tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 fresh parsley stems with leaves
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Prepare all the vegetables into medium to large-size dice.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large rondeau pot over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
• Next, add in the eggplant, gently season with salt, and quickly sauté for 90 seconds, or just until 1 or 2 sides are browned. Set them aside on a plate in a single layer to cool slightly.
• Pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and once it smokes, add in the zucchini gently season with salt, and sauté for 2 minutes or until 1 or 2 sides is browned. Set it aside on a separate plate in a single layer to cool slightly.
• Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pot over medium heat and add in the onions. Gently season with salt and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or just until they start to turn brown.
• Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking the onions for an additional 10 minutes or until they are well-browned and tender.
• Pour in the bell peppers, turn the heat to medium, and cook while stirring for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant.
• Next, add the tomatoes, sugar, parsley sprigs and leaves, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper. Stir the ingredients together, add a lid, and cook over low to medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tomatoes break down and form a thick-like sauce.
• Add back in the eggplant and zucchini and cook over low to medium heat while occasionally stirring for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the parsley and thyme sprigs and discard them.
• Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve with an optional garnish of fresh thyme leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.

Notes

Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten within 15-20 minutes of making it.

How to Store: Cover and keep the ratatouille in the refrigerator for 5 days. This freezes well, covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for one day or until thawed.

How to Reheat: Add two tablespoons of oil or lard to a large frying pan over high heat until it smokes lightly. Place in the desired amount of ratatouille and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.

You can swap the fresh parsley and thyme for 2 teaspoons of each dry thyme.

Any large, wide pot or pan will work for this recipe. It’s better to use something that can cover much surface area so the vegetables can sear and not steam.

When I say gently season with salt, I mean a ¼ teaspoon.

I almost always use Italian flat-leaf parsley. If it is not available, then curly parsley is fine.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 638mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1493IUVitamin C: 69mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Author: Chef Billy Parisi