Ratatouille

4.97 from 27 votes

Ratatouille is an iconic southern French dish that lets summer vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, summer squash and tomatoes take center stage. Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 50

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Keyword: ratatouille, ratatouille recipe

Servings: servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

Equipment

Mandoline This is my favorite mandoline yet!
Le Creuset Braiser My go-to pan for dishes like this.
Immersion Blender I've been loving this quality immersion blender.

Ingredients

Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ yellow onion diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 small carrot grated
1 (14.5-ounce can) crushed tomatoes
3 roasted red peppers (from a jar) roughly chopped
2 teaspoons herbs de Provence see substitutions below
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Sliced Vegetables

1 Chinese eggplant
2 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
5 Roma tomatoes

Herb Dressing

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tender herbs (thyme, basil, parsley, tarragon, oregano, etc)
3 garlic cloves minced
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

US - Metric

Instructions

Saute the onion and carrot. Preheat the oven to 375F. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot, and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
Add more veggies and simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes, roasted red peppers, herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Slice the vegetables. While the sauce is simmering, use a mandoline to thinly slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes.
Blend the sauce. Transfer the simmered vegetables to a blender and pulse until lightly blended. Alternatively, transfer to a 4-cup measuring cup and use an immersion blender to lightly puree it. Then pour it back into the skillet and spread into a flat layer.
Arrange the vegetables. Alternate the sliced vegetables, placing them in a circular pattern around the outside of the skillet, working towards the center.
Drizzle the dressing. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then drizzle it on top of the vegetables.
Bake. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the top is lightly golden.
Serve. Garnish the skillet with a few sprigs of fresh thyme leaves before serving, or plate a portion of ratatouille with a few spoonfuls of sauce. If you'd like to see how I plate it like the movie, watch my tutorial video above!

Video

Notes

- Storing leftovers in the fridge: Ratatouille will stay good for 4 to 5 days. Just note that the vegetables will soften over time, especially when reheated.
- How to freeze and reheat ratatouille: You can freeze this for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. When you'd like to enjoy it, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in the microwave, oven, or stovetop.

- How to prep this ahead of time: There are a few ways you can go about this. One, you can bake the recipe as is the day before and reheat it back in the oven with foil. Second, you can prep the sauce and dressing ahead of time and store in the fridge. When you're ready to make it, pour the sauce into the pan, add the sliced vegetables, top with the dressing, then bake! I don't recommend slicing the vegetables a day in advance, especially the eggplant, as it will oxidize and brown.

Nutrition