Learn how to make ratatouille (rat-tuh-TOO-ee) with this easy recipe of fresh vegetables cooked on the stove. Ratatouille is a French dish anyone can enjoy!
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Ratatouille is a French stew composed of vegetables like eggplant, onion, peppers, zucchini and tomatoes. Serve on its own in bowls with crusty bread, or over rice or noodles.
About this Recipe
When you hear the word "Ratatouille", you may immediately think of the Disney movie with a rat. But, ratatouille food is a popular dish near the end of summer for using up those seasonal veggies. It is extremely easy to make ratatouille, but does include a bit of chopping.
Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients you need to make this easy ratatouille.
Grocery List for Ratatouille:
- Eggplant
- Bell pepper
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Zucchini
- Olive oil
- Basil
- Thyme
- Oregano
Click here or scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe ingredients and instructions.
Instructions
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the step-by-step on how to make Ratatouille. The general steps are as follows:
- Chop eggplant and zucchini and place in separate bowls. Cover with salt and let set 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop tomatoes and set in separate bowl. Chop pepper and onion; set aside.
- Heat oil in large skillet. Fry eggplant for 7 minutes. Add zucchini and cook another 4 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, remove from pan; set aside.
- To the same pan, heat more oil. Cook onions and peppers with the herb seasonings. Add garlic.
- Return eggplant and zucchini to the pan. Stir in tomatoes, oil, salt and pepper.
- Simmer 20 minutes until thickened.
Full detailed recipe is at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Stew: Serve ratatouille alone in a bowl as a stew with a spoon. Or, top it over rice, noodles, or cooked eggs!
Meat: Ratatouille is traditionally meatless, but feel free to add chicken, steak strips, pork, sausage, fish, etc. Almost any type of meat goes well with ratatouille.
Mix-ins: Try mixing in mushrooms, cheese or chickpeas for different variations.
Dip: Instead of a meal, try serving ratatouille as a dip. Set it out as an appetizer with crusty bread for your guests to dip.
Top Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to follow the steps in the directions given so the eggplant and zucchini have proper time to be salted.
- Simmer longer if your ratatouille has more liquid than you like.
- Ratatouille is even better the next day. Eat it cold or reheated in the microwave.
- Use a large skillet with deep sides to keep the vegetables from escaping the pan.
Your Questions Answered
Can I use canned tomatoes?
Yes, but this dish tastes better using fresh tomatoes.
Should I peel eggplant for ratatouille?
It is not necessary to peel the eggplant. You can, but I don't.
How do you make ratatouille not runny?
Follow the process in the directions given so the salt has time to remove some of the water from the eggplant and zucchini. If your ratatouille is still runny after the 20 minutes of cooking, cook a little longer until desired consistency is reached.
Storage and Leftovers
Store: Keep leftovers of ratatouille in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or stovetop, or eat it cold!
Freeze: Ratatouille is a great recipe to freeze. Freeze batches during the summer to enjoy in the winter!
More Easy Dinner Recipe Ideas
- Sheet Pan Kielbasa with Veggies
- Spinach and Sausage Gnocchi
- Summer Spaghetti
- Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
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Photography by Marie Roffey.
Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow (or sweet) onion
- 1 bell pepper (any color)
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 lb vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6 tomatoes)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Fresh basil (for garnish)
Instructions
- Roughly chop eggplant and zucchini. Set aside in two separates bowls and sprinkle evenly with salt. Let set while chopping the rest of ingredients, at least 10 minutes.
- Remove woody stems from tomatoes and chop to a fine dice. Set aside in third bowl, including juices.
- Roughly chop pepper and onion, set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large deep skillet over medium heat. Fry the eggplant for 7 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to cook an additional 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Do not clean pan. Heat another 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Cook onions and peppers with the thyme, dried basil and oregano for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Return eggplant and zucchini to pan. Stir in the tomatoes, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook over medium low heat to maintain a simmer for 20 minutes, until thickened.
- Serve over rice, noodles, pasta, potatoes or in a bowl with crusty bread.
Notes
- It is important to follow the steps in order to allow time for the eggplant and zucchini to set in the salt.
- Stew: Serve ratatouille alone in a bowl as a stew with a spoon. Or, top it over rice, noodles, or cooked eggs!
- Meat: Ratatouille is traditionally meatless, but feel free to add chicken, steak strips, pork, sausage, fish, etc. Almost any type of meat goes well with ratatouille.
- Mix-ins: Try mixing in mushrooms, cheese or chickpeas for different variations.
- Dip: Instead of a meal, try serving ratatouille as a dip. Set it out as an appetizer with crusty bread for your guests to dip.
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