Made with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and two surprising ingredients, this Ratatouille Recipe transforms late summer vegetables into a rich and hearty vegetarian dish that sings with flavor.
Looking for more recipes featuring eggplant? Don't miss my recipes for Baked Eggplant Parmesan and Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan.
![Ratatouille Recipe Bowl of thick homemade ratatouille in white bowl with rustic piece of bread.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ratatouille.jpg)
Secrets to the Best Ratatouille Recipe
Ratatouille is a classic French dish from the region of Provence made with eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs, It is a peasant dish that is rich, hearty, and incredibly easy to make. BUT also incredibly easy to mess up.
The difference between a mushy, lack-luster Ratatouille, and a stellar Ratatouille comes down to patience. Taking time to salt the eggplant and sear the vegetables before simmering the Ratatouille will ensure layers of flavor and incredible texture.
But let's not stop there. Adding dry white wine and olives elevates this peasant dish into one that belongs on a 5-star restaurant menu.
Ingredients Needed for Ratatouille
![Best Recipe Ratatouille Ingredients for ratatouille on counter.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Simple-Ratatouille-Recipe.jpg)
- Vegetables: Ratatouille can be made with any seasonal vegetable, but classically made with eggplant, bell peppers, yellow onions, and summer squash (zucchini and/or yellow squash).
- Tomatoes: Because Ratatouille is made with produce often straight from the garden, it makes sense to use fresh tomatoes, like Roma, beefsteak, or cherry tomatoes. In a bind, you can use canned crushed tomatoes.
- Olive Oil: For the best flavor, only olive oil will do. I prefer using extra virgin olive oil for, but any quality variety of olive oil will work.
- For Flavor: Garlic, fresh thyme, dried oregano, a bay leaf, and a pinch of red pepper flakes allow a depth of flavor to be developed as this eggplant stew cooks.
- My Two Surprising Additions: My recipe for Ratatouille does feature two untraditional ingredient--white wine and green olives. Both add acidity and richness to the dish, along with a briny kick from the olives. While both are optional, these two additions add incredible flavor to the dish. For the wine, I recommend a dry white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. If you don't drink wine, simply use vegetable broth or chicken stock. No stock on hand? Use water.
How to Make Ratatouille
While this recipe for Ratatouille does involve many steps and needs time to simmer, nothing is complicated and the labor required transforms humble ingredients into something spectacular. Keep in mind you will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card, the following tip are provided to help you achieve perfect results.
Salt Eggplant
Eggplant will make Ratatouille bitter and watered down if not prepared correctly. To combat this, peel, dice the eggplant, and then heavily salt. Let the eggplant sit in a colander over a large bowl or on a baking sheet lined with a rack for 30 minutes to 1 hour. As the eggplant sits, the salt will draw out the excess liquid and any potential bitterness in the eggplant.
![Classic French Ratatouille Peeled and cubed eggplant in fine mesh strainer next to ingredients for Classic Ratatouille.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Classic-French-Ratatouille.jpg)
Prepare Tomatoes
Because Ratatouille is a dish all about fresh produce, it is best to make your own tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes. I recommend roughly chopping tomatoes of choice and then blending or pureeing them until smooth. The skin will break down enough, it is not necessary to skin the tomatoes.
![Ratatouille Stew Recipe Pureed fresh tomatoes in small food processor next to summer squash.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Summer-eggplant-Stew.jpg)
Sauté Onion
While you wait to, you can use that time to prep and begin to sauté the other vegetables to build layers of flavor and texture in Ratatouille. Begin by sautéing the onions in olive oil over medium heat until soft and lightly caramelized.
![Classic Ratatouille Minced yellow onions sweated down in olive oil in large staub dish.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Classic-Ratatouille.jpg)
Add Peppers and Seasonings
Once the onions are golden, add in the chopped bell pepper and sauté for just 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and thyme to sauté for briefly for to toast.
![Recipe Ratatouille Stew Sauteed onion, peppers, and herbs in large stock pan.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Vegetable-Ratatouille.jpg)
Deglaze with Wine
Adding just a splash or dry white wine adds a rich acidity to the Ratatouille that is simply delicious and helps to remove the browned bits off the bottom of your pan, that work to flavor the stew.
![French Ratatouille Sauteed vegetables in large stock pan after being softened and dry white wine added to pan.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Classic-Recipe-Ratatouille.jpg)
Sauté Eggplant
Another secret to making the best Ratatouille is to sauté the eggplant in a bit of oil until just toasted. This will add flavor and texture to the eggplant and the Ratatouille itself.
![Cubed eggplant sauteed in small frying pan until just golden.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Eggplant-Stew.jpg)
Combine and Simmer
Add the sauteed eggplant to the large stock pan, along with the diced zucchini and squash, bay leaf, olives, and tomato puree. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer over medium-heat. Once simmering, turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced and the vegetables are tender.
![Authentic Ratatouille Recipe Ratatouille Stew in large stock pan after being cooked down and simmered until thick.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Authentic-Ratatouille-Recipe.jpg)
How to Serve Ratatouille
- As a Vegetarian Entree: Serve with Italian bread and a tossed Greek salad or Caesar salad.
- As a Sauce: Serve the thick stew over cooked pasta, Instant Pot Quinoa, or Instant Pot Brown Rice. For picky eaters, you can even opt to blend the ratatouille to form a smooth sauce before dishing out over pasta.
- As a Tapenade: Slather warm or cold ratatouille on crackers or bread. Delicious on its own or with the addition of feta or goat cheese.
- As a filling: Use leftovers as a filling for omelets, quiche, or frittatas.
More Summer Produce Recipes
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Caprese Salad
- Summer Squash Saute
- Italian Roasted Vegetables
- Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
If you gave this easy Ratatouille recipe a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
![Thick Classic Ratatouille dished up in bowl topped with basil and served with crusty bread on the side.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ratatouille-Recipe-360x360.jpg)
Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 4 medium Roma tomatoes seeded, peeled, and chopped
- 2-½ tablespoons olive oil divided, plus additional for serving
- 1 large yellow onion minced
- 2 large bell peppers (any color) deseeded and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine or vegetable broth or water
- 2 medium zucchini and/or yellow squash sliced into ½-inch chunks
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ cup Spanish Green Olives halved
- ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt + more for salting eggplant
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Peel and dice the eggplant, and then place it in a colander over a large bowl or on a baking sheet lined with a rack. Sprinkle heavily with kosher salt. Let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour and then rinse well and pat dry.
- Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place them in a food processor fitted with an s-blade or blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed stock pan over medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add in the minced onion and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and sauté for 4-6 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is glistening and softened.
- To the onions, add in the diced bell peppers and sauté for 3-4 minutes to soften. Once the peppers have softened, add 1 teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 4 cloves minced garlic, and thyme leaves to the pan. Sauté for 30-60 seconds just to toast.
- Once your nose begins to smell the garlic, add in ¼ cup of wine (or vegetable broth or water) and scrape off the browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Let cook for 1-2 minutes and then turn off the heat.
- In the meantime, heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick or stainless steel sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the prepared eggplant and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly golden and the edges are a bit caramelized.
- Add the sauteed eggplant to the large pan with the sauteed onions and peppers, along with the processed tomatoes, diced zucchini/yellow squash, olives and bay leaf. Season with a ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ black pepper.
- Turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced and the vegetables are tender, stirring often.
- To serve, remove the bay leave, taste and adjust seasonings. Drizzle with additional olive oil and top with fresh basil if desired.
Beth
This was such a hit and unbelievably delicious! So glad I can use up some veggies for a very tasty dinner!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing you enjoyed this Ratatouille Beth. Thanks for sharing.
Betsy
My husband is a HUGE fan of this! Absolutely loves it. And your addition of the green olives is absolutely a smash. So perfect. Absolutely delish. Will have to make this again soon!
Kristen Chidsey
Awe, wonderful! So happy to hear your husband enjoyed the green olives 🙂
Samantha
I was looking for a new way to use up some over the overabundant veggies from my garden and WOW...this was even more delicious than I thought it would be! A keeper recipe for sure.
Kristen Chidsey
You are super lucky to have all the veggies--I have a black thumb. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe.
Jessica Formicola
I made this for dinner last night and everyone devoured it! Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing how much your family enjoyed! Thanks for sharing!
Zerrin
Wow! This is a perfect summer meal! Love the addition of green olives! I would enjoy it with some homemade yogurt. YUM!
Kristen Chidsey
Oh yes, homemade yogurt it a great idea Zerrin! Glad you enjoyed.
Jennifer Stewart
I have a black thumb too! I can't keep fake plants alive:( I have to steal all my fresh herbs from my mother in law or my friend Chrissy's house. Maybe the soil at the new house will be better!
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness
Oh wow this looks so good, so healthy and so easy! Came across your post on the Two Cup Tuesday link party. Glad I did because I am a produce hoarder and sometimes need some new, fresh ideas!
Kristen Chidsey
Glad this recipe can inspire you. And in my opinion, you can NEVER have enough produce!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
CSAs are the perfect solution for those who don’t have green thumbs (or good soil)!
I love that you made this summer ratatouille — so many good things out there right now! This looks so good - I can imagine it goes well with crunchy bread!
Kristen Chidsey
Patricia, crusty bread is the best with this!!
Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily
I just love Ratatouille! All of my favorite veggies in one bowl. I love your green olive addition!
Kristen Chidsey
I love the green olives as well--so much better than black olives in my opinion.
Liz
This looks AMAZING! So simple and yummy. I love anything with fresh veggies - I need to try this one!
Kristen Chidsey
Yes you do if you love fresh veggies 🙂
Lauren Kelly Nutrition
So funny, I am so envious of hose people why say they have so much left over fresh produce! I also have a black thumb! This looks amazing, gotta love your CSA!
Kristen Chidsey
Glad I am not alone with my black thumb. I am cursed!!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
Gorgeous eggplant stew Kristen! Great use of produce, love roasting veggies. I was also cursed with a black thumb. Some years are better than others. This year my basil is going crazy but my tomatoes are low producers....go figure.
Kristen Chidsey
At least you can grow basil. NEVER have I been successful with Basil. That is what started my curse I do believe 🙂
Carla
Such a a great idea.
My produce bin is EMBARRASSINGLY full..,
Kristen Chidsey
Well, this is a GREAT way to use up what you have.