This ratatouille recipe is a delicious version of the classic French stew. It’s rich and flavorful, filled with late summer vegetables, olive oil, and herbs.
Ratatouille is a French stew made with late summer vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. It’s rich with olive oil, bright with vinegar, and flecked with fresh herbs. If you haven’t tried it, put this ratatouille recipe on your list to make this summer. It’s even more delightful than the Disney movie of the same name (which is pretty delightful, if you ask me).
Making this ratatouille recipe always transports me to Provence, in the south of France. A few years ago, I stayed with a local family there. On my first night with them, they served ratatouille for dinner. We sat on their patio, drinking rosé and scooping up the thick stew with crusty bread. I’ve always loved ratatouille, but that night cemented it as one of my favorite summer dishes.
Since then, I’ve made ratatouille every summer. This recipe is a streamlined and simplified version of one I shared several years ago. It comes together on the stovetop—no oven required!—and it’s just as delicious as any ratatouille I’ve tasted in France. I hope you love it as much as I do!
What is ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable stew from Provence. It’s made on the stovetop with onion, eggplant, peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes.
If you’ve seen the Ratatouille movie, you might be wondering why my ratatouille doesn’t consist of pretty layers of vegetable slices.
Well, the dish that Remy the rat makes in the movie is actually a tian, a Provençal casserole made with similar vegetables. While it’s delicious, it’s far fussier to make than this traditional ratatouille recipe, so this is the version I love to make at home.
Ratatouille Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this ratatouille recipe:
- Onion and garlic – They create the stew’s savory base.
- Eggplant – Any variety will work, but I typically use a medium-large Italian globe eggplant here. I don’t peel it because I like that the skins help the eggplant pieces hold their shape. But if you’d like to, feel free.
- Zucchini – Yellow squash is great too!
- Peppers – Any type of sweet pepper will work here. I typically use yellow, orange, or red bell peppers. Avoid green bell peppers—they won’t add enough sweetness to the ratatouille.
- Tomatoes – They break down into a sauce that brings the other vegetables together. Only use chopped fresh tomatoes in this recipe. Canned diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes will overpower the other veggies.
- White wine vinegar – It makes the ratatouille tangy and bright. If you don’t have it on hand, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, and fresh lemon juice are all good substitutes.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For sautéing the veggies. You’ll add 1 to 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan at a time so that each vegetable becomes nicely caramelized and tender.
- A pinch of sugar – It tames the acidity of the vinegar and tomatoes.
- Red pepper flakes – For heat. Feel free to skip them if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Fresh herbs – Basil and thyme add fresh, aromatic flavor to this recipe.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Ratatouille
Here’s a step by step guide to how to make ratatouille:
Start by prepping the eggplant. Chop it into 1/2-inch pieces. Then, place it in a colander and sprinkle it with salt. Set it over a plate or bowl or in the sink to drain for 20 minutes.
Then, cook the eggplant. Blot it dry and sauté it in a large skillet until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove it from the pan and set aside.
Next, cook the zucchini. When it’s tender (but not mushy!), remove it from the pan and set aside with the eggplant.
Then, cook the peppers and onions until very tender, stirring in the garlic halfway through.
Once the onions, bell peppers, and garlic are tender, add the tomatoes, along with the red pepper flakes and sugar. Cook until they break down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes.
Finally, simmer the ratatouille. Return the eggplant and zucchini to the pan. Add the vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until the ratatouille is thick.
Stir in half the basil and season to taste. Garnish with more basil and serve!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Recipe Tips
- Salt the eggplant before cooking it. This simple step draws moisture out of the eggplant, helping it cook more evenly and concentrating its flavor. When you start prepping this recipe, chop and salt the eggplant right away and set it aside to drain for 20 minutes. You can use this time to finish prepping the other ingredients!
- Sauté the eggplant, zucchini, and peppers separately. These vegetables all have different cook times. If we were to toss them in the pan all together, the zucchini would be mush before the eggplant was tender. They also contain a lot of moisture. If they started in the pan together, there would be too much liquid for the veggies to caramelize. Cooking them separately allows each vegetable to become perfectly tender and caramelized, enhancing the flavor and texture of the final stew.
What to Serve with Ratatouille
My favorite way to enjoy ratatouille is the simplest: in a big bowl with crusty bread on the side! It’s excellent warm or at room temperature, especially with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil on top.
Here are a few more delicious ways to serve it:
- As the filling for an omelet or topped with a fried egg
- As a side dish for a frittata or any simply cooked protein
- Over pasta or polenta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- As an appetizer with crostini
How do you like to eat ratatouille? Let me know in the comments!
How to Store and Make Ahead
To store: Store leftover ratatouille in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
To make ahead: Ratatouille is a fantastic dish to make ahead. I think the flavors are actually better the next day, after they’ve had a chance to develop in the fridge! Prepare the ratatouille up to 1 day ahead, omitting the basil when you cook it. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then seal it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. The next day, reheat over low heat on the stovetop, loosening it with water as needed if the stew has thickened more than you’d like. Season to taste and add the basil right before serving.
More Summer Recipes to Try
If you love this ratatouille recipe, try one of these delicious summer dishes next:
Ratatouille Recipe
Serves 4
This ratatouille recipe is my favorite way to make the classic French stew. It’s rich and flavorful, filled with late summer vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. Serve it warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil on top and crusty bread on the side.
- 1 medium-large eggplant, 1 pound, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Sea salt
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, 1 pound, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound tomatoes on the vine, 3 to 5, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Pinch cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more torn basil for garnish
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Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Place in the sink or over a large rimmed plate and set aside for 20 minutes to drain. Blot dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
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Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
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Add another 1 tablespoon olive oil and the zucchini to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.
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Add another 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook for another 10 minutes, or until very tender. If the pan becomes dry, add more oil as needed.
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Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil into the peppers and onions. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and sugar and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down.
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Add the eggplant and zucchini back into the skillet along with the vinegar, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the ratatouille is thick. Stir in the basil and season to taste. Garnish with more basil and serve.