Ratatouille Recipe
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Ratatouille is a traditional French recipe that brings out the best in fresh, seasonal vegetables by searing and slow-cooking them with aromatic herbs until perfectly tender. You will love how each ingredient enhances the next, and once you take your first bite, I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
I’ve been making ratatouille for decades, as it was one of the main side dishes we served at a restaurant back in St. Louis. I absolutely love it and still come back to it over and over. It’s super simple at its core, just fresh vegetables, olive oil, and herbs, but when it’s made right, it truly cannot be beat. Ratatouille is a true comfort food, much like my classic French onion soup.
What is Ratatouille
Ratatouille, which is pronounced ra-ta-too-ee, is a super classic French dish from the Provence region. It’s a combination of eggplant, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs that you then sear and braise. The finished dish is a flavor bomb of fresh vegetables that is excellent as a main course or as a simple side dish.
There are really two styles of making ratatouille. There’s the rustic classic way, like this one, with diced vegetables cooked in stages. Then there’s the more intricate layered dish with thinly sliced vegetables arranged in a spiral, and oven-baked, known as Confit Byaldi. This is the version that they make in the cartoon movie, Ratatouille. While it is tasty, I actually prefer the classic stovetop method because the flavors have more time to marry up.
There can definitely be some variation in this dish depending on what season we’re in. This isn’t just a pile of stewed vegetables thrown into a pot. I like to sear each ingredient separately to bring out more flavors before braising them all together over a slow simmer. That’s how you build layers of flavor, my friends, by treating every vegetable with respect.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive oil is the best fat to use in this recipe. Other options are a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil, ghee, or clarified butter.
- Herbs– I stewed the ratatouille with fresh parsley and thyme and garnished it with more thyme leaves when serving it. You can also feel free to use 4 to 5 leaves of fresh basil. Definitely substitute fresh for dry if that’s all you have.
- Fresh green zucchini is the most classic to use. The only other option is to use yellow squash.
- Tomatoes – I like Roma tomatoes because they are solid, fresh tomatoes that can be used year-round, along with cherry tomatoes. If you are in peak tomato season, then I’d personally go for the vine-ripes. Lastly, you can absolutely also use drained canned tomatoes if that’s all you have access to.
- Yellow onions are my favorite in this because, to me, they caramelize the best. However, you can use a red, white, or sweet onion. You will also need some whole garlic cloves.
- Eggplant – While any eggplant variety will work for this, I usually use the more classic American globe eggplant because this is the most common in the States.
- Peppers– I use a combination of red and green bell peppers because I tend to stick to the original classic ingredient used. However, for a little sweeter taste, feel free to also use orange or yellow bell peppers.
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper are all I used. Crushed red pepper flakes were also used as a garnish, but this is optional. Also, just as an FYI, I use Diamond Crystal.
- Granulated sugar is used in two ways. To help reduce some of the bitterness that can come from the peppers and eggplant, and to enhance the flavor of the onions and tomatoes.
How to Make Ratatouille
Prep: The eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, and tomatoes are cut into medium to large-sized dice. This is important so that things cook evenly.
Heat the pan: I then add olive oil to a large rondeau pot over high heat and wait until it lightly smokes. This is how I know it’s searing time.
Sear: Place the diced eggplant in the hot pot. I immediately spread them out to cover more surface area, and then I gently season them with salt. Sauté for only 90 seconds. Then, I transfer it to a plate in a single layer to cool slightly.
Cook the Zucchini: Next, drizzle in more olive oil into the pot. Then, I add the zucchini, season gently with salt, and sauté for 2 minutes. Very similar to the eggplant. Transfer it to a separate plate in a single layer to cool slightly.
Sauté: Add more olive oil to the pot over medium heat, then toss in the onions. I gently season with salt and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, The goal here is to get the edges to start to brown up a bit.
Carmelize: I then lower the heat to low and let the onions cook slowly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned. Be sure to try some at this stage, they’re so good.
Cook: Add the bell peppers and turn the heat up to medium, and stir occasionally for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
Sauté: I then stir in the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it becomes fragrant.
Simmer: Next, add the tomatoes, sugar, parsley and thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper, and give it all a stir. I cover the pot with a lid and cook it over low to medium heat for about 12 minutes.
Combine: I add the eggplant and zucchini back into the pot and let everything cook over low to medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finish: Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Then, I like to serve it with fresh thyme leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.
Chef Tip + Notes
The biggest chef tip I can give you for making this ratatouille is to sear each vegetable separately before combining them. This is crucial so that each vegetable has the right texture, plus it’ll prevent everything from turning into mush. If you skip this you’ll lose that depth of flavor that makes this dish truly stand out.
- Dried Herb Swap: If I don’t have fresh parsley and thyme on hand, I just use 2 teaspoons of each dried instead. I promise you’ll this will still be incredible, with no loss to the over all quality and flavor.
- Best Cookware: I almost always go for a large, wide pot or pan like the rondeau so the vegetables can cover more surface area. This is how you get a better sear on them and avoid steaming them.
- Seasoning with salt: When I say gently season with salt, I mean right around ¼ teaspoon, that’s it. Just enough to enhance the flavors and help them release some of their moisture for a better sear. I promise once you start doing this at different stages throughout the cooking process, your food will start to taste that much btter.
- Parsley: I use Italian flat-leaf parsley 99% of the time because it has the best flavor. If it’s not available, curly parsley is a solid substitute.
Serving Suggestions
I personally love ratatouille on its own. Honestly it can be the main dish all by itself. If you want it more as a vegetable side dish it pairs really well with my juicy grilled pork tenderloin. Maybe for something a little lighter, I’ll spoon it over creamy polenta, letting the flavors soak into that soft, buttery base. That one right there is a winner.
For a more rustic combo, I often some ratatouille right to a slice of homemade sourdough bread. This is seriously so good. There’s nothing like mopping up all that delicious sauce with some bread. Delicious!
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: Ratatouille is meant to be eaten within 15-20 minutes of making it or else the vegetables will start to soften too much.
How to Store: I like to cover and keep it n the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Believe it or not this actually freezes pretty well, covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for one day or until thawed.
How to Reheat: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil or lard in a large frying pan over high heat until it smokes lightly. I then add the desired amount of ratatouille and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm, simple as that. Don’t forget to adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.
More Vegetable Recipes
Ratatouille Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large diced medium-sized eggplant
- 2 large diced medium-sized zucchini
- 1 peeled large diced yellow onion
- 1 seeded large diced red bell pepper
- 1 seeded large diced green bell pepper
- 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 7 to 8 large diced Roma tomatoes, about 3 1/2 to 4 cups
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs, plus leaves for optional garnish
- 2 fresh parsley stems with leaves
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all the vegetables into medium to large-size dice.
- Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil to a large rondeau pot over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Next, add in the eggplant, gently season with salt, and quickly sauté for 90 seconds, or just until 1 or 2 sides are browned. Set them aside on a plate in a single layer to cool slightly.
- Pour in 1 to 2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and once it smokes, add in the zucchini gently season with salt, and sauté for 2 minutes or until 1 or 2 sides is browned. Set it aside on a separate plate in a single layer to cool slightly.
- Add 1 to 2 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pot over medium heat and add in the onions. Gently season with salt and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or just until they start to turn brown.
- Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking the onions for an additional 10 minutes or until they are well-browned and tender.
- Pour in the bell peppers, turn the heat to medium, and cook while stirring for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Next, add the tomatoes, sugar, parsley sprigs and leaves, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper. Stir the ingredients together, add a lid, and cook over low to medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tomatoes break down and form a thick-like sauce.
- Add back in the eggplant and zucchini and cook over low to medium heat while occasionally stirring for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the parsley and thyme sprigs and discard them.
- Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve with an optional garnish of fresh thyme leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.
Delicious! I might try my chopper to make dicing all the veggies faster next time.
The process is worth it
Thank you!!