Ratatouille is a bounty of fresh vegetables roasted in a rich tomato sauce, delivering the most incredible side or main dish. Super healthy, filling, absolutely delicious.

Serve it with our favorite popovers to mop up all the wonderful juices!

While typically a dish that takes advantage of summer’s last garden haul, Ratatouille can be enjoyed anytime, since its common ingredients are available in markets year round. I actually serve it every year at Thanksgiving, because it’s a great make-ahead dish and can accommodate every diet imaginable. Woot!

It’s so impressive looking, but incredibly humble and rustic. We just love it. It’s truly one of the best things ever!

What is Ratatouille?

Ratatouille (pronounced rat-tuh-too-ee), is a classic French stew, with roughly chopped vegetables like onion, zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, tomatoes, and bell pepper, seasoned with garlic and herbs, cooked in a robust tomato sauce. In Provence, ratatouille is typically cooked on the stovetop; each vegetable is sautéed in olive oil until it’s tender. Then all of the ingredients are combined and simmered together to let the flavors mingle.

I kept the concept intact, but followed the method from the Ratatouille movie (because FUN!), by thinly slicing all the vegetables the same size and thickness, and roasting them together in the tomato sauce. The results are amazing in taste and presentation!

Best Ratatouille Recipe – Why We Love It

• Garden gold mine: If you have a garden, it’s a great way to use up extra vegetables in the summer.
• Common ingredients: The ingredients used are commonly found at grocery stores all the time, so you can enjoy it year round.
• Level 10 veggies: Vegetables are elevated to the next level. Even your least favorite vegetables come alive in this dish.
• Make Ahead: It’s a fantastic make-ahead dish. In fact, it tastes even better the next day!
• A dish for everyone! This Ratatouille recipe is Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Paleo, Low Carb, Whole30, Keto friendly, and Dairy Free…and yet fires on all cylinders! Everyone can enjoy it.

What’s in Ratatouille

Staying true to a traditional Ratatouille, these are the ingredients I used:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Onion – sweet onions all the way.
• Bell Pepper – I used a combination of red and yellow bell pepper. Orange would also work. I, personally, would avoid green bell pepper because it’s so bitter.
• Zucchini and Yellow Squash – the color combination of green and yellow are so visually appealing, but you can double up on one kind instead if you want.
• Eggplant – Japanese eggplant is the way to go here. They don’t contain many seeds, and have flesh that’s extra tender when cooked. Plus they’re the same size as the other vegetables, so they cook at the same rate.
• Tomatoes – you’ll want Roma tomatoes.
• Garlic – fresh garlic can’t be beat.
• Herbs & Seasonings – I used fresh parsley, basil, and thyme. And salt and pepper, of course.
• Olive Oil – extra-virgin olive oil for the win, every time.

How to Make Ratatouille

Yes, it’s a little labor intensive, but each individual step is easy, I swear. And the end result is so worth it.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

1. Preheat your oven and prep all your vegetables – onion and bell pepper should be diced small, and the zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and tomatoes sliced to about an 1/8-inch.
2. Make the sauce – heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron or oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add some chopped basil.
3. Lay the sliced vegetables on top of the sauce – arrange the sliced veggies in an alternating pattern on top of the sauce in a spiral, from the outer edge to the middle of the pan, packing them in tightly.
4. Cover and Bake – cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Make the Herb seasoning – in the meantime, whisk together the ingredients for the herb seasoning; pour over the cooked ratatouille.
6. Serve and rejoice!! – serve with some crusty bread to mop up all that amazing sauce.

Suggested Equipment

You really only need a small bowl, whisk, sharp knife, wooden spoon, and 12-inch cast iron pan or oven-safe skillet, which you probably already have. BUT I highly encourage you to break out your mandolin, if you have one. Or if you don’t, get one! This Grate and Slice Set is my absolute fav (<< that is an affiliate link.) It makes the process of slicing so easy, fast, and efficient, guaranteeing all the vegetables are the same size and thickness so they cook at the same rate.

Storing Leftovers

Like most stews, the taste is even better the next day after the flavors have had time to get to know one another.

Leftovers in the fridge: For leftovers, cool completely then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze Ratatouille? It’s not my preference, since the vegetables tend to break down and get mushy once thawed, but yes you can. Cool completely then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Ratatouille Video

What to Serve with Ratatouille

Since this dish is composed of a lovely tomato-based sauce, herbs, and roasted vegetables, it goes with so many things! I usually serve it over crusty French bread, with some popovers, skillet cornbread, or cornbread casserole.

Goodness. My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish and I just ate some earlier! It is truly one of my most favorite things.

This Ratatouille recipe is so crazy delicious, you will love it like I do!

Other Vegetable Side Dishes

• Best Mashed Potatoes
• Mushroom Rice
• Oven Roasted Carrots
• Baked Sweet Potato
• Roasted Beets

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!