This rustic Ratatouille recipe is a celebration of summer produce and Provençal flavor. It's simple, satisfying, and surprisingly simple to make at home.
Why we love this Ratatouille recipe
If Ratatouille sounds familiar, you might be thinking of the beloved Pixar movie. But the real-life dish is even better! This classic French recipe brings together tender vegetables, rich tomato sauce, and a blend of herbs for a cozy, feel-good meal.
It's perfect with a crusty baguette slathered in our Quick Tomato Sauce or served alongside Easy Homemade Meatballs for something heartier. Whether it's the main dish or a flavorful side, Ratatouille always feels like something special.
The first time I tasted it, I was hooked. It was simple but so full of flavor. When we created this version, we kept the rustic French feel but made the steps easier for home cooks. No fancy tools, just fresh veggies, bold flavor, and a recipe you'll come back to again and again.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
- GARLIC: fresh garlic cloves, chopped
- TOMATOES: we used Roma tomatoes for this recipe. You can also use a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
- CRUSHED RED PEPPER: red pepper flakes
- GREEN PEPPER: fresh green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- THYME: sprigs of fresh thyme
- EGGPLANT: fresh, small eggplant sliced in ¼" slices
- YELLOW SQUASH: small yellow squash (yellow zucchini), sliced in ¼" slices
- ZUCCHINI: small zucchini squash, sliced in ¼" slices
- SALT: sea salt or kosher salt
- PEPPER: ground black pepper
*see recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Top tip
Choose veggies that are similar in size and shape. It makes layering easier and gives your ratatouille that gorgeous, photo worthy look.
Featured review
❝ Delicious! Made this for dinner and even the teenage boys like it! ❞
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Make the sauce: in a medium saucepan, add olive oil, crushed tomatoes, diced pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, and thyme. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes (or use Quick Tomato Sauce).
- Prep the vegetables: while the sauce cooks, slice the squash and eggplant into ¼" slices.
- Season the sauce: remove thyme sprigs from the sauce and discard. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the dish: spoon a layer of sauce into the bottom of an oven-safe casserole dish or cast iron skillet to prevent from sticking.
- Layer the vegetables: arrange squash and eggplant in an alternating pattern, standing them upright like books on a book shelf. Continue layering in a circular pattern until the dish is full.
- Add more sauce: drizzle additional sauce over the top, making sure the standing vegetables aren't fully covered.
- Bake covered: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Finish baking uncovered: remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Rest and serve: let the dish rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
🍅 More Vegetable Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
- No eggplant? Use zucchini, yellow squash, or even mushrooms to fill in. Just keep everything the same thickness for even cooking.
- Short on time? Use our Quick Tomato Sauce instead of making it from scratch.
- Add cheese: Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese on top before baking adds a savory finish.
- Make it spicy with an extra pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce in the tomato base.
- Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze for more depth of flavor.
- Want it heartier? Add thick slices of potato or sweet potato to the mix.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in a 375°F oven, uncovered, until it's warmed through (about 7-10 minutes).
- Do not freeze: we don't recommend freezing this dish, as the vegetables get mushy.
Wine Pairing
We've partnered with our friends at Emmolo Wines to create this that pairs perfectly with their exceptional Merlot. This well-balanced, earthy wine sourced from the family vineyards in Napa Valley has expansive, dark berry flavors, a fresh earthiness and smooth, leathery tannins.
FAQ
Ratatouille is a classic French vegetable dish made with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, and herbs. Ours is a baked version that layers vegetables for a beautiful, composed presentation and bold, roasted flavor.
Slice everything evenly and don't overcrowd the pan. Layering the vegetables upright (like books on a shelf) lets them roast gently instead of steaming, so you get tender texture without the mush.
Yes! This dish actually tastes better after the flavors have had time to develop. You can bake it ahead, let it cool, and reheat before serving. Or enjou it at room temperature.
Yes, Ratatouille is naturally vegan and gluten-free. It's made entirely from vegetables, olive oil, and herbs, with no animal-based ingredients.
Nope. There's no need to peel the eggplant, zucchini, or squash. The skin helps the slices hold their shape and texture.
Ratatouille can be served as a main dish or a side. Enjoy it with crusty bread, over pasta or rice, or alongside proteins like chicken or fish. It's versatile and pairs well with many dishes.
Related recipes
🍅 Making this recipe?
- Please feel free to reach out with questions. We're happy to help.
- If you enjoyed it, please leave us a comment with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ratatouille recipe
This rustic Ratatouille recipe is a celebration of summer produce and Provençal flavor. It's simple, satisfying, and surprisingly simple to make at home.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ c olive oil
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (or 4 Roma tomatoes)
- 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 small yellow squash, sliced in ¼" rounds
- 2 small zucchini squash sliced in ¼" rounds
- 1 small eggplant sliced in ¼" rounds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place a medium sauce pan on stove and place olive oil, crushed tomatoes, diced pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic and thyme and allow to cook for 15 minutes on medium heat (or use our Quick Tomato Sauce recipe).
- While sauce is cooking, slice your squash and eggplant into ¼ inch slices.
- Remove sauce from stove. Remove the thyme and discard. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Using an oven safe low casserole dish or cast iron skillet, place enough sauce in bottom to coat. This will prevent vegetables from burning.
- Layer vegetables in alternating fashion and shingle them so that they are standing up like books on a book shelf.
- Continue adding vegetables in a circular pattern until the dish is full.
- Layer more sauce over the vegetables in a circular way so that they are standing vegetables are not covered completely.
- Cover with foil and place in oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove foil and cook an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Then serve.
Notes
- For best results, try to pick vegetables that are equal in size and shape. This will make for the most appealing presentation.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙
- Calories: 117
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 477.2 mg
- Fat: 9.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.7 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Cindy says
Delicious! Made this for dinner and even the teenage boys like it!
Jackie says
Hooray!! We are so happy you liked it... and your teenage boys too!!!