Ratatouille

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Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs.

Hailing from Provence, a region in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea, ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew made with eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes. It is rich with the flavor of olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs. Making it properly takes a bit of time, so I suggest cooking a big batch over the weekend. That way, you’ll have a tasty and colorful base for meals throughout the week. With a little imagination, there are endless ways to use ratatouille, such as:

As a vegetarian main course over grains or polenta
Alongside roasted or grilled meats and fish
Shakshuka-style with poached eggs
Tossed with pasta
Folded into omelets or frittatas
Dolloped over crostini with goat cheese
Straight from the fridge as a snack (it’s delicious cold)

What You’ll Need To Make Ratatouille

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by heating 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (no need to clean it). Add thezucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.

Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.

Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onion and bell pepper.

Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more. Do not brown. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

How To Make Ahead & Freeze Ratatouille

If possible, you should make ratatouille at least a day ahead of time — like most stews, the taste improves after the flavors have a chance to mingle in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months for a taste of summer once the cooler weather arrives. Enjoy!

Video Tutorial

Metric Cup Measures

By Jenn Segal

Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs.

Servings: 8 (Makes about 7 cups)

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Ingredients

1 large (1¼ lbs) eggplant, cut into &frac13;-inch cubes
Salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb), cut into &frac13;-inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
5 large vine-ripened tomatoes (1¾ lbs), cut into &frac13;-inch cubes, with their juices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, plus more for serving
¾ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (no need to clean it). Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.
Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cooked eggplant to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is soft. Add the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme, drizzle with a little olive oil if desired, and serve warm or chilled. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Let the dish cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. (Keep in mind that the zucchini won't stay crisp after being frozen.) This is delicious served cold, or reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (8 servings)
Calories: 153
Fat: 11 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Sugar: 8 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 392 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

Dairy-Free
Dinner
Freezer-Friendly
Make-Ahead
Vegetarian
French

Comments

One of the best ratatouille recipes I’ve come across on the internet. Can’t wait to make this with my own home grown veggies later in the summer (I’m based in the UK).
I used a mix of fresh and good quality tinned tomatoes, also added a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end.
Thank you.
- — Lawrence on April 18, 2024
- Reply
The Rat was right! Hand down the best ratatouille ever! I did Mc Giver it a little. Canned tomatoes instead of fresh, the whole can of tomato paste rather than 1TBS, a bay leaf rather than thyme. Oh! And I added 8 oz of mushrooms, because I like them! I added the rest of the can of tomato paste because I found the flavor a little sharp, the added T-paste mellowed it right out. Every cook has their special twists but, like all the other reviewers, this was just incredible! Love love love it!
- — Jo Scoby on March 30, 2024
- Reply

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