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This traditional French Ratatouille recipe of seared and slow-cooked fresh vegetables and herbs until creamy is bursting with unbelievable flavors. I am beyond in love with this dish and once you try it, you will be as well.
Determining which side dishes go with what main courses can sometimes be tough. However, my Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Asparagus will go with anything.
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a classic French dish from the region of Provence that consists of eggplant, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs that are quickly seared and then gently stewed. The result is a creamy delicious mixture of fresh vegetables that serves as a wonderful main or side dish.
The vegetables in this dish can also vary depending on what’s in season and what’s available. While there are some versions of this recipe where everything is cooked together, I believe the individual searing of each ingredient will help to bring about the most flavor while keeping the consistency of the vegetables intact and not mushy or overcooked.
Ratatouille can be served, cold, or at room temperature. In addition, it is commonly served as an appetizer with bread.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oil – I used olive oil in this recipe. Other options are a neutral flavored oil like avocado oil, ghee or clarified butter.
- Herbs – I used a combination of fresh parsley and thyme when stewing the ratatouille. In addition, I used some thyme leaves as garnish when serving it. You can also use 4 to 5 leaves of fresh basil.
- Zucchini – You will need fresh zucchini for this recipe. The only other option would be to use yellow squash if all is available.
- Tomatoes – I used Roma tomatoes because it’s a solid fresh tomato to use all year around, in addition to cherry tomatoes. If you are in peak tomato season, any fresh tomato will work. You can also use drained canned tomatoes in this ratatouille.
- Onion – You can use a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion. In addition, you will also need some whole garlic cloves.
- Eggplant – Any breed of fresh eggplant will work for this.
- Peppers – I use a combination of red and green bell peppers. You can also use orange or yellow bell peppers. Also, feel free just to use a singular or a combination of any of the bell pepper colors.
- Seasonings – I used coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper. There was also a garnish of crushed red pepper flakes, which is optional.
- Sugar – A small amount of granulated sugar is used to help cut back on any bitterness and to enhance the flavor of the onions and tomatoes.
How to Make Ratatouille
Prepare all the vegetables into medium to large-size dice.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large rondeau pot over high heat until it smokes lightly.
Next, add 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 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 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pot over medium heat and add 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 cook the onions for 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.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead:This is meant to be eaten within 15-20 minutes of making it.
How to Store:Cover and keep the ratatouille in the refrigerator for 5 days. This freezes well, covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for one day or until thawed.
How to Reheat:Add two tablespoons of oil or lard to a large frying pan over high heat until it smokes lightly. Place in the desired amount of ratatouille and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can swap the fresh parsley and thyme for 2 teaspoons of each dry thyme.
- Any large, wide pot or pan will work for this recipe. It’s better to use something that can cover much surface area so the vegetables can sear and not steam.
- When I say gently season with salt, I mean a ¼ teaspoon.
- I almost always use Italian flat-leaf parsley. If it is not available, then curly parsley is fine.
More Vegetable Recipes
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Ratatouille Recipe
4.97 from 28 votes
This traditional Ratatouille recipe of seared and cooked fresh vegetables and herbs until creamy is bursting with unbelievable flavors.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 4 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
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh parsley stems with leaves
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare all the vegetables into medium to large-size dice.
Add 2 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 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 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.
Notes
Make-Ahead:This is meant to be eaten within 15-20 minutes of making it.
How to Store:Cover and keep the ratatouille in the refrigerator for 5 days. This freezes well, covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for one day or until thawed.
How to Reheat: Add two tablespoons of oil or lard to a large frying pan over high heat until it smokes lightly. Place in the desired amount of ratatouille and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
You can swap the fresh parsley and thyme for 2 teaspoons of each dry thyme.
Any large, wide pot or pan will work for this recipe. It’s better to use something that can cover much surface area so the vegetables can sear and not steam.
When I say gently season with salt, I mean a ¼ teaspoon.
I almost always use Italian flat-leaf parsley. If it is not available, then curly parsley is fine.
Nutrition
Calories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 638mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1493IUVitamin C: 69mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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44 comments
- Rob
Doubled it and froze half. Minced garlic instead of slicing. Thanks Chef.
- Reply
- Earlene B Kent
Made this for the first time today exactly as Chef Parisi outlines and it’s delicious! It is wonderful to have another main dish for my vegan friends!
See AlsoRatatouille - Once Upon a ChefAll the Disney Dreamlight Valley recipes: Ratatouille and beyondRatatouilleHow to make perfect ratatouille- Reply
thank you for trying it!
- Reply
- Sue😁
ChefBilly thank you great recipe 😁👋🤩😋
- Reply
- sue😁
Thank you ChefBilly tasty recipe 😋👏😁
- Reply
- sue😁
Thank youChefBilly love you recipe yum😁👋👏😋
- Reply
- sue😁
Thank you ChefBy 😁👏🤤🤩fabulous recipe 🥣👋
- Reply
- sue😁
Thank you Chef Billy yummy recipe of your creativity 😁😋🤤👏
- Reply
- sue😁
😋shop for these ingredients thank you ChefBilly 😀👏😋
- Reply
- sue😁
😋soon as we ,I ..shop for these ingredients thank you ChefBilly 😀👏😋
- Reply
- sue😀
Thank you ChefBilly 😁👋thank you for your creativity yummy recipe soooo much joy ,,,,privilege .,,😁👏
- Reply
- Kristine
I substituted the eggplant with rutabaga and tomatoes with mango due to having Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Delish!
- Reply
nice!
- Reply
- FIRECHEF13
Definitely will make this dish, sounds delicious.
Exactly what I’m looking for as a side dish for almost everything.
Thanks Chef.- Reply
- Diana Lupinacci
I put mine in the oven and it was fabulous.
- Reply
- Linda Hickey
Thanks for sharing.
- Reply
- Donna A Pollock
I passed this recipe along to my Best Friends Daughter. She is now a Vegan and needs all the great help we can do for her.
- Reply
- Sandra Stillwell
awesome
- Reply
- Laura
Most definitely going to make, tyia,
LauraCuéllar-Ortiz- Reply
- sue
Thank you for your video’s Chef Billy 👋😁🤩😋
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
thanks!
- Reply
- Theresa Riendeau
I made this for my veggie loving son and his girlfriend who loves to eat new foods. She did not have a wide variety of foods growing up. And well, I’m Italian, so it’s a food festival when she visits. It was exceptionally good because I used my home grown organic eggplant, zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes. The rest of the ingredients were store bought but still organic. I think I’ll make it again for Thanksgiving.
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
appreciate you trying this!
- Reply
- Cindy Reeves
What a fabulous recipe! This was my first attempt at making ratatouille, and it was a smashing success. The simple seasoning highlighted the vegetables as well as the sauce. My husband has now requested this dish at least once a week. And it was very easy to follow.
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
Appreciate you trying this, glad you enjoyed it!
- Reply
- Karen
This makes a gorgeous presentation, and is delicious! My husband loved it!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
Thanks!
- Reply
- Rosa
Just made this about an hour ago. Forgot the bell peppers & I put onions in every rotation of veggie slices since we love them. Added a little red pepper flakes to the sauce in the bottom. Sneaked a bite before the pork loin was done…delicious!!!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
Thank you for trying this!
- Reply
- Annie
I made this and it looked amazing. Your video was very helpful and made what seemed like a very intimidating dish very easy.
- Reply
- Melody Harvey
This has become a part of our family favorites. I have made it multiple times. I appreciate its elegant simplicity that delivers in flavor. It is a great way to get veggies, can be vegetarian/ vegan, reheats well, and the leftovers can be pureed with a broth for soup! However, because we rarely have leftovers, I have had to start making larger portions. Also, it is beautiful for a holiday side! Thank you Chef Parisi!
- Reply
- Cathy
Loved this ratatouille! Looked gorgeous even though I didn’t try the rose. Thanks Billy, love your recipes and instructions!
- Reply
- Ann
I made the mistake of making this for my best friend (forgetting she always gives me her CSA share of eggplant). To my surprise she loved it, and even asked for your website and recipe this morning.
- Reply
love it!
- Reply
- Birgitte Christensen
What is the difference between Ratatouille and Tian?
Love all your videos 👍🥰- Reply
- Caren Mangiacapre
Made the recipe as posted. Easy to make and has a beautiful presentation. I added 3 garlic cloves because, why not. 😊
- Reply
Perfect!
- Reply
- Lyndi Sponamore
I love a good veggie meal and this is perfectly delicious! Thank you, chef!
- Reply
Awesome!
- Reply
- Vicki Allgood
Was the hit at potluck and so easy! Thank you
- Reply
perfect!!
- Reply
- Kristallynn Freel
I made this dish last night
It was wonderful, I used an asiago cheese that was rosemary crusted along with the reggiano parmigiano, so good. With homemade garlic bread.- Reply
- Shelly
I for some reason thought this included pepperoni and salami. I am a meat and cheese lover- especially when mixed with veggies and spices. Is there no recipe for me???
- Reply
- Konnie
This is a wonderful and very fun recipe to make it really didn’t take a lot and he explains it beautifully. Everybody should give this a try if you love Ratatouille. 🤗. I also took pictures along the way of making it and it turned out beautifully I wish there was a way that I could post them to show everybody. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
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