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, 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!
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. 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 or crushed tomatoes will overpower the other veggies. White wine vinegar – It makes the ratatouille tangy and bright. 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
If you’ve seen the Ratatouille movie, you might be wondering why my ratatouille doesn’t consist of pretty layers of vegetable slices. It’s a fair question! The dish that Remy the rat makes in the movie is actually a tian, a type of casserole native to Provence. While it’s delicious, it’s far fussier to make than traditional ratatouille—a humble stovetop vegetable stew. Here’s my preferred method for 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. Chop and salt the eggplant right away. 20 minutes will nearly be up by the time you finish prepping the other ingredients.
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. Eggplant, zucchini, and peppers have different cook times. If we were to toss them in the pan all together, the zucchini would be mush before the eggplant was close to tender. These vegetables also contain a lot of moisture. If they started in the pan together, there would be too much moisture for the veggies to caramelize. So, while cooking each one separately requires more time, it pays off. Each individual vegetable becomes perfectly tender and caramelized, enhancing the flavor and texture of the final stew.
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.
Ratatouille Serving Suggestions
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 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!
More Summer Recipes to Try
If you love this ratatouille recipe, try one of these delicious summer dishes next:
Caponata Tomato Galette Caprese Salad Panzanella Eggplant Parmesan
