Ratatouille a Classic French Dish

Even though ratatouille tastes best in the summer with the abundance of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes, it can be made and enjoyed all year long. In this ratatouille recipe, we used green zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, red peppers, onions, garlic and fresh tomatoes for an insanely delicious meal!

Pro tip: use canned tomatoes for a wintertime ratatouille, it will still be warmly delicious and comforting! A sprinkling of savory herbs completes this classic French dish.

What is Ratatouille?

Pronounced rat-a-too-ee, this is a traditional French dish that is usually recognized for its beautiful presentation of vegetables! It’s made of stewed vegetables that can be cooked together or separate. We added oregano and herbes de Provence for the best flavor! Sometimes we include chickpeas in our ratatouille for added protein and to make it a complete meal. Chickpeas are a non-traditional addition that we really love!

Ratatouille Ingredients

The very best part of making Ratatouille is using an abundance of fresh summer produce. Whether you’re growing your own veggies, stopping by the farmer’s market, or grabbing colorful produce from the grocery store, this is bound to be a fresh and delicious dish.

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Tomato Paste
• Salt
• Pepper
• Eggplant
• Zucchini or yellow squash
• Red bell pepper
• Herbes de Provence (or a combination of thyme and oregano) 
• Red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper (optional, if you would like some heat; you can add more or less to taste)
• Fresh tomatoes

How to Make Ratatouille

These vegetables all have different cooking times, so doing them in the correct order yields the best results! Put on a podcast or a favorite playlist and get cozy in your kitchen. It’s time to chop veggies and get cooking!

• In a large deep skillet with a lid heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sautee on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes
• Add eggplant, mix well and cook for two minutes, then add ½ cup of water. When the water cooks out add another ½ cup of water and let it cook for 2 minutes. Don't skip this step! This will ensure that the eggplant gets cooked all the way through. Uncooked eggplant is yucky!
• Add zucchini/squash and red bell pepper, remaining salt, Herbes de Provence, and red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked to your liking.
• If you want distinct pieces of vegetables, a 30-minute cooking time should be fine.  If you prefer a creamier, more stew-like consistency where the veggies melt into each other, cook the ratatouille longer.

What to Serve with Ratatouille

These flavorful, colorful vegetables can be served and enjoyed all by themselves! Don’t you love dishes like that? If you do want to add some sides, we’d recommend…

• Rice
• Couscous
• Quinoa
• Your favorite crusty bread
• Eggs! Serve leftovers in an omelette or on top of scrambled eggs or use this ratatouille as your shakshuka base

More Recipes that Use Summertime Produce

• Braised Eggplant in Fresh Tomato Sauce
• High Protein Skillet Eggplant Lasagna
• Green and Yellow Zucchini "Spaghetti" with basil and pine nuts
• Authentic Spanish Gazpacho Recipe - Fresh from the Garden
• Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze
• Buffalo Eggplant Fries
• Baked Feta & Cheddar Zucchini Frittata
• Pan con Tomate
• Hearty Vegetarian Stews

Did you make this ratatouille recipe?

Ratatouille

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★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Vicky & Ruth
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 7 cups - 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Even though ratatouille tastes best in the summer with the abundance of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes, it can be made and enjoyed all year long. In this ratatouille recipe we used green zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, red peppers, onions, garlic and fresh tomatoes for an insanely delicious meal! Pro tip: use canned tomatoes for a wintertime ratatouille. Delicious and comforting! A sprinkling of savory herbs completes this classic French dish.

 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp of salt, divided
• ⅛ tsp of pepper
• 1 medium-sized eggplant ( 1 lb, 5 oz), diced into 1" pieces (about 6 cups diced)
• 2 large zucchini or yellow squash or a combination of both (2 lbs), diced into 2" pieces (about 6 cups diced)
• 1 large red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced into 1" pieces (about 2 cups diced)
• 2 tsp Herbes de Provence or a combination of thyme and oregano 
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper (optional, if you like some heat). Add more or less to taste.
• 1 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped (in the winter you can use canned diced or canned whole tomatoes)

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet with a lid. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium-high for 2-3 minutes
2. Add the tomato paste, ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes
3. Add the eggplant, mix well and cook for 2 minutes, then add ½ cup of water. When the water cooks out, add another ½ cup of water and let it cook for 2 minutes. (Don't skip this step, this will ensure that the eggplant cooks all the way through)
4. Add the zucchini/squash and  bell pepper,  the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, Herbes de Provence and red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper and fresh or canned tomatoes
5. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked to your liking (see Note 1)

Notes

1. If you want distinct pieced of vegetables, a 30 minute cooking time should be fine.  If you prefer a creamier more stew-like consistency where the veggies melt into each other, cook the ratatouille longer.

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 40
• Category: Dinner
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 ¾ cup
• Calories: 188
• Sugar: 17
• Sodium: 612
• Fat: 8.3
• Saturated Fat: 1.3
• Unsaturated Fat: 6.3
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 27
• Fiber: 9.5
• Protein: 5.9
• Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: how to make ratatouille, what is ratatouille, ratatouille