Ratatouille
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This colorful layered Ratatouille is an easy and tasty way to enjoy fresh vegetables. Thin slices of tomato, zucchini, and eggplant are layered in a rich tomato sauce and baked until soft and fragrant. You end up with a rustic, colorful dish with classic French flavors in every bite.
Table of Contents
- Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- In Photos: How To Make Ratatouille
- More Recipes
Ratatouille is a classic French dish made with vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs.
Some versions are more like a stew, while others are layered and baked. This recipe uses the layered style, with sliced vegetables on top of a simple tomato sauce, baked until tender.
Serve it as a side with roasted chicken, fish, pasta, crusty bread, or over creamy polenta. It tastes great warm from the oven or at room temperature, so it's perfect for making ahead.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fresh and flavorful: The vegetables become tender as they soak up the savory tomato sauce.
- Beautiful to serve: The layers look impressive, but the dish is actually easy to make.
- Great for entertaining: You can serve it hot, warm, or at room temperature.
- Naturally light: It's packed with vegetables and makes a nice side dish that doesn't feel heavy.
- Easy to customize: Use whatever vegetables you have, and feel free to change the seasonings to match your taste.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds richness to the sauce and gives the dish a nice glossy look.
- Onion: Creates a savory base for the tomato sauce. Yellow or white onions both work.
- Garlic powder: Gives a gentle garlic flavor without needing fresh garlic.
- Onion powder: Make sure your onion powder is fresh. That old clumpy bottle in the back of your spice cabinet should be in the garbage for sure.
- Italian seasoning: A blend of herbs that goes well with the vegetables.
- Dried oregano: Adds an earthy, aromatic taste.
- Kosher salt: Brings out the flavors in the sauce and vegetables.
- Balsamic vinegar: Lifts the browned bits from the pot and adds a bit of tangy sweetness.
- Crushed tomatoes: Make the rich, saucy base for the vegetables.
- Granulated sugar: Optional, but useful if your tomatoes are very acidic.
- Roma tomatoes: Slice neatly and hold their shape well during baking.
- Zucchini: Brings freshness, color, and a tender texture.
- Eggplant: Makes the dish hearty and silky after baking.
- Fresh basil: Optional, but adds a bright, fresh touch at the end.
In Photos: How To Make Ratatouille
Step 1: Make The Sauce
Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt. Cook until the onion is soft and tender, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the balsamic vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot. This brings up the tasty browned bits and adds more flavor to the sauce.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, then simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Preheat & Prep
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice your vegetables to a uniform thickness using a mandoline.
Step 3: Assemble
Spread the tomato sauce evenly into the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish.
Stand the sliced Roma tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant upright in the sauce, alternating them as you go.
Step 4: Bake
Bake until the vegetables are tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.
Drizzle with olive oil and add torn fresh basil leaves on top. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Try to slice the vegetables evenly, so they cook at the same speed.
- Pick vegetables that are about the same size, if possible. This helps the layers look neat.
- Let the sauce thicken before putting it in the baking dish. A thicker sauce helps keep the ratatouille from getting watery.
- Don't pack the dish too tightly. The vegetables should fit snugly, but not be squished together.
- For extra flavor, sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top before serving.
More Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish
- ½ (55 g) onion, (medium) finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 g) garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (32 g) balsamic vinegar
- 14 ounces (396.89 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6 g) granulated sugar, (optional)
- 3 (186 g) roma tomatoes, sliced
- 2 (392 g) zucchini, (medium, or 1 large) sliced
- 1 (458 g) eggplant, (small), sliced
- fresh basil leaves, optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the onion, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt to the pot.
- Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and tender (approx. 5 minutes).
- Deglaze the pot with balsamic vinegar, scraping with a wooden spoon to bring the fond up off the bottom of the pot and into the sauce.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and allow the sauce to simmer until thickened (approx. 20 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spread the sauce in an even layer in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish.
- Arrange the sliced vegetables in the dish, sitting upright in the sauce.
- Bake until tender (approx. 35 to 45 minutes).
- Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and torn fresh basil leaves, then serve hot or at room temperature.
