This Ratatouille recipe is a great way to use up your favorite summer produce, like zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant. I’ve been intimidated by it years, but today I’m going to show you how to make the easiest and most delicious version you’ve ever tasted. It would be fun to make with your kids after watching the Disney movie by the same name!
What is ratatouille? Ratatouille is a cooked vegetable dish originating in France, that features fresh summer produce. The name ratatouille comes from the French verb “touiller” which means “to stir up” or “toss.”
In essence, you’re tossing a bunch of veggies together to create a flavorful meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What is Ratatouille made of? Traditional ratatouille is made with zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and garlic, and it’s common to see eggplant added in, as well.
I’m usually not the biggest fan of eggplant, but in this case it’s a perfect match with the other flavors and textures.
If you’d prefer to skip the eggplant, you can do that with no problem! Feel free to add in other vegetables you love, like mushrooms or kale, replace it with extra zucchini, or just omit it entirely.
How to Serve It
What is Ratatouille served with? If you’d like to serve Ratatouille as a main course, I recommend serving it over a cooked grain, such as rice, quinoa, or pasta. You can also serve the leftovers as a pizza topping over your favorite pizza crust.
From a food combining standpoint, ratatouille is a neutral vegetable dish until you add the cheese, so for a vegan dinner you can leave that out and serve it with grains. Or if you prefer to include the cheese, you can enjoy it as part of an animal protein meal, with a serving of grilled fish or meat.
The options are wide-open!
How to Make It
Ratatouille is easy to prepare, but you will have to be patient as the vegetables roast in your oven. To get started, you’ll chop the eggplant, bell peppers, and onion, toss them in a little olive oil, and roast until almost tender.
While that’s in the oven, you can use that time to chop up the zucchini, tomato, and garlic that you’ll need. I like to be as efficient with my kitchen time as possible.
By the time you have everything chopped, you’ll place the zucchini in the oven to cook alongside the other vegetables (I usually add it to another pan because of space issues, but you can add it right on top of your other pan of veggies, too.)
Pour your favorite tomato sauce into the bottom of a 3-quart pan, then add in the garlic and the roasted veggies on top. Arrange sliced tomatoes over that, then back to the oven it goes until the tomatoes are tender!
Serve this flavor-packed vegetable dish over cooked quinoa (my personal favorite), rice, pasta, or pizza for a hearty vegetarian dinner. Or serve it as a side dish. It’s even delicious cold for an easy packed lunch the next day.
Easy Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1 pound eggplant , peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 red or yellow bell peppers , sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 red onion , sliced
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme
- fine sea salt
- 1 large zucchini , sliced into half-moons (about 10 ounces)
- 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce (or 1 1/2 cups of homemade sauce); look for no added sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic ; roughly 3-4 cloves minced
- 2 large tomatoes , sliced (about 2 cups)
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (optional; omit for a vegan dish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Put the eggplant, bell pepper and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss the vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil, the chopped thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, use that free time to chop the zucchini, garlic, and tomatoes, if you want to save time.
- When the 15 minutes are up, add the zucchini on top of the other veggies (or use another baking sheet) and bake for another 10 minutes. While that is cooking, combine the tomato sauce and garlic in the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish.
- Arrange the roasted vegetables over the sauce, then top with the sliced tomatoes. Bake for a final 15 minutes. Sprinkle the goat cheese over the dish, if desired, and serve warm.
- Leftovers can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 5 days. To reheat, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350ºF.
Video
Nutrition
Ratatouille Nutrition (1 of 4 servings, with goat cheese): Calories: 139; Fat: 5g, Carbohydrates: 18g, Fiber: 7g, Protein: 8g
Recipe Notes:
- You can make this recipe ahead of time up to 5 days in advance if you want to serve it for a party or gathering. Simply reheat it at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes until heated-through.
- For the tomato sauce, you can use a homemade recipe like my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce, or try a sugar-free brand like Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce. (You can also find these cans at Target!)
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make a substitution, I’d love to hear how that works out for you, too! We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried ratatouille before? Let me know how you like to serve it best!
Made this for dinner last night and it was amazing! So simple, yet so flavorful. I can’t wait to get more zucchini and make this again!
Made this for dinner tonight. So tasty and so much easier than Ratatouille I’ve made before.
So delicious and easy. I did half with mozzarella(for my husband) and half with goat cheese(for me) Both were delicous!
QQ: If I make this in advance, do I add the sliced tomato when reheating?
We love ratatouille over polenta and with soft fried eggs on top!
This meal was incredibly delicious! I too am not a great fan of eggplant. Instead I added fresh green and yellow beans (whole) and thinly sliced carrots to the veges. I also used 3 colours of peppers. It is not only delicious but beautiful with all the fall colours. I did not have goat cheese so used grated sharp cheddar instead. YUM!!!
Can you use a broth instead of the olive oil when you roast the veggies?
This was a super easy and delicious take on ratatouille! I substituted a jar of tomato basil pasta sauce for the tomato sauce and feta cheese instead of goat since these were all I had on hand and loved the result! Served over quinoa it was a very filling meal and while it was hearty, it didn’t weigh us down. Will definitely be repeating this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know. 🙂
This is wonderful! I am amazed at how changing the cooking time of the vegetables makes this simple recipe so tasty. Thank you! This one goes in the summer rotation for sure.
I love this recipe! It’s a frequent go-to for me, and I love that I can use up whatever extra veggies I have around! I’ve passed the recipe on to several friends and they love it too!
Eggplant is about the only vegetable I just can’t get into! Is there another veggie option you think would be good to replace the eggplant?
I love serving this on top of orzo pasta. I cook the zucchini with the other veggie and use jarred marinara (time saver!). A thick coat of sauce on the bottom is a must for me and the goat cheese puts it over the top!
So unbelievable good!
This is a excellent dish! This will be on rotation around our house. Thank you Megan.
This was delicious. Roasted mushrooms and chickpeas along with all the other veggies and then put mozzarella cheese on top of the sliced tomatoes. Served with jasmine rice. Very flavourful and easy to make!
This is the best recipe ever! It is so full of flavor and is a tasty way to eat lots of vegetables. We can’t get enough of it!