Easy French Ratatouille (2024)

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This Easy French Ratatouille is a rich and delicious vegetarian dish full of flavors and is perfect for serving as a main or a side.

Making ratatouille is not as difficult as it may seem. This classic French dish is easy to make and is a great way to use up some of those summer vegetables.

Plus, the recipe is so flexible! You can adapt it depending on the availability of ingredients or to suit your family's tastes. A simple dish perfect for late summer!

Easy French Ratatouille (1)

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What is ratatouille?

Ratatouille (pronounced rat-tuh-too-ee) is a classic French stew from Provance, with coarsely chopped vegetables such as onions, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, cooked with a thick tomato sauce and seasoned with garlic and herbs. It can be served as a side dish or main course.

What does ratatouille taste like?

Ratatouille is rich and flavorful. It has an incredible freshness from the tomatoes and sweetness from the onions and bell peppers, an almost creamy note from the zucchini and eggplant, balanced by the savory garlic and herbs.

It is a delicious late summer dish that even a hardened meat lover will enjoy.

Easy French Ratatouille (2)

What to serve with ratatouille

There are many ways to serve ratatouille, but one of the most popular in France is to spoon it over some fresh bread. Or serve it in a bowl with crusty bread to dip in.

We often enjoy it with pasta or rice. Or as a side spooned over a grilled chicken breast or steak. You can add it to a pizza base, sprinkle it with some goat cheese and bake for a delicious veggie pizza. Or have it cold as a topping for bruschetta (see how to make the bruschetta bread)

Serve it with a poached or fried egg for a delicious brunch dish, or add it hot to the top of a baked potato for a great lunch. Or use it as a filling for stuffed peppers.

Easy French Ratatouille (3)

Traditional Ratatouille

The traditional french ratatouille is cooked on the stovetop and each vegetable is cooked separately before being added to a large pot to braise and combine.

This ensures that each vegetable is perfectly cooked rather than some turning mushy before others are cooked. It is what differentiates a mushy vegetable stew from a delicious flavor-packed ratatouille.

But sauteing all the veg separately is time-consuming and uses lots of oil, so I like to roast the veg. It is a method I saw Delia Smith use, and it gives you perfectly cooked veg, with caramelized edges and a little less moisture, so you have no chance of your veg becoming mush!

Why you'll love this recipe

  • Ratatouille turns what could be boring vegetables into something delicious! Even the pickiest of my kids will eat this!
  • You can use up your vegetables and adapt the recipe to taste.
  • It can be served as a side dish or a main dish.
  • It tastes even better the following day and is excellent cold!

Can you freeze ratatouille?

Yes! Ratatouille freezes well! And it reheats perfectly too.

  • Allow the ratatouille to cool; this can take a couple of hours.
  • Divide into portions. For ease, I like to separate the ratatouille into individual portions before I freeze it. This gives me flexibility. I can defrost just one portion for lunch or a few for a family dinner.
  • Place the ratatouille into ziplock bags. (I prefer the bags as I tend to break the lids of containers in the freezer! But you can use a container if you prefer)
  • Squeeze as much air out as possible to avoid ice forming on your ratatouille.
  • Label your bags and freeze them for up to 3 months.
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If you make this Easy French Ratatouille, don't forget to come back and comment or tag me on social media.

Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.

Enjoy x

Easy French Ratatouille (5)

Easy French Ratatouille (6)

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5 from 12 votes

Easy French Ratatouille

This Easy French Ratatouille is a rich and delicious vegetarian dish full of flavors and is perfect for serving as a main or a side. Making ratatouille is not as difficult as it may seem. This classic French dish is easy to make and is a great way to use up some of those summer vegetables.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Main, Side

Cuisine: French

Servings: 6

Calories: 239kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout

Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)

Ingredients

US Customary - Grams

For the sauce

  • 2 lb ripe tomatoes - see note 1
  • 2 onions -see note 2
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup white wine -see note 3
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - see note 4
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil - see note 5

For the vegetables

  • 1 eggplant -see note 6
  • 2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow) -see note 7
  • 2 zucchinis -see note 8
  • 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil , divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt , divided (cooking/kosher)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425ºF/220ºC.

While the oven is heating up, start the sauce.

  • Remove the tomatoes' core, then place them in a food processor or blender and puree to a thick foamy puree. (see note 9 if you don't have a blender/processor)

    1lb/900g ripe tomatoes

  • Peel and chop the onions into large chunks (½-¾ inch square)

    2 onions

  • Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves.

    3 cloves of garlic

  • Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and the salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onion is soft with a hint of golden on the edges.

    3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    ½ teaspoon salt

  • Add the sliced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Then pour in the wine. Stir well to remove any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and cook for a minute.

    ¼ cup/60ml white wine

  • Add the pureed tomatoes, thyme, black pepper, and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently.

    pureed tomatoes
    ½ teaspoon sugar
    ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Prepare the veg

  • Cut the eggplant and zucchinis into ½ inch chunks and cut the bell peppers ¾ inch squares.

    1 eggplant
    2 zucchinis
    2 bell peppers

  • Toss the diced eggplant with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt, then arrange on a large, rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.

    diced eggplant
    2 tablespoons extra vigin olive oil
    ¼ teaspoon salt

  • Toss the bell pepper and zucchini with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt and arrange on a large, rimmed baking tray in a single layer.

    diced zuchini
    chopped bell peppers
    2 tablespoons extra vigin olive oil
    ½ teaspoon salt

  • Place the baking sheets in the oven with the zucchini and bell pepper tray on the top shelf and the eggplant on the middle shelf.

  • Cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the baking trays and stir the vegetables making sure they stay in a single layer.

  • Return the veg to the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

  • Remove from the oven and transfer the vegetables into the tomato sauce.

  • Simmer the sauce for 5-6 minutes. Then stir in the fresh basil and check the seasoning.

    2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Notes

  1. Use the best ripest tomatoes you can. If fresh tomatoes aren't available, you can use a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes instead if you need to.
  2. You can use any onion you have to hand. White, brown, or red onions will all work.
  3. If you don't consume alcohol or don't have wine to hand, then you can replace it with water.
  4. If you are using dried thyme, then only use ½ teaspoon.
  5. Fresh basil is perfect for this sauce, you can use dried if you don't have it, but it will give a different taste. Use just ½ teaspoon.
  6. You want a firm, medium-sized eggplant, roughly 1lb/450g
  7. Use large bell peppers. You can mix and match the colors to suit what you have. Avoid green as they aren't sweet enough and can affect the final dish.
  8. Use firm zucchinis, weighing around 8oz/220g each.
  9. If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can grate the tomatoes on a large hole box grater. Chop any bits of flesh or skin that are too small to grate.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 406mg | Potassium: 859mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2702IU | Vitamin C: 89mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts

More Sides

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See Also
Mabel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alex says

    Easy French Ratatouille (11)
    This was delicious! I love getting all my vegetables in this way. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      It is such a delicious way to eat veg isn't it!
      Cx

      Reply

  2. Mandy says

    Easy French Ratatouille (12)
    I love ratatouille and this recipe didn't disappoint - delicious!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      So happy you enjoyed it Mandy 🙂
      Cx

      Reply

  3. Aya says

    Easy French Ratatouille (13)
    This ratatouille recipe is delicious and flavorful! The family devoured it!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      Love hearing that 🙂
      Cx

      Reply

  4. Jennifer says

    Easy French Ratatouille (14)
    Oooh this was soooo good! I loved all the veggies in it and the flavors were spot on!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
      Cx

      Reply

  5. Mandy says

    Easy French Ratatouille (15)
    I love ratatouille and was so happy to find this recipe - it tasted delicious!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
      Cx

      Reply

  6. Sherry says

    Easy French Ratatouille (16)
    Whenever I see a ratatouille recipe, I think of the little mouse "Remmy" from the Disney movie Ratatouille! Your recipe is so delicious and my family loved it!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      Hehe, me too!
      That is how I first got my 8 year old to try it!!!
      He loves the movie so was willing to give it a go 🙂
      Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment.
      Cx

      Reply

  7. Rupali says

    Easy French Ratatouille (17)
    Beautiful dish! I served it with some fish. It was perfect!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      So happy you enjoyed dit, with fish is the perfect combo 🙂
      Cx

      Reply

  8. Linda says

    Easy French Ratatouille (18)
    This ratatouille looks absolutely beautiful and the sauce tastes ah-ma-zing!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      So happy you enjoyed it Linda
      Cx

      Reply

  9. laura says

    Easy French Ratatouille (19)
    We love this ratatouille recipe!!

    Reply

    • Claire McEwen says

      That just makes me smile 🙂
      Thank you
      Cx

      Reply

  10. Lynn Polito says

    Easy French Ratatouille (20)
    This recipe is so good and so full of flavor!

    Reply

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Easy French Ratatouille (2024)

FAQs

What's the secret of a good ratatouille? ›

Ratatouille requires ripe vegetables, a liberal hand with the olive oil, and patience: only long, slow cooking will give you the creamy soft vegetables, and intense, almost jammy sauce that sings of the sun. Anything else is just plain vegetable stew.

What is the correct order of steps for making ratatouille? ›

  1. Step 1: Roast Nuts. Start by roasting the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. ...
  2. Step 2: Prepare Eggplant. Dice the eggplant, put the cubes in a strainer and sprinkle with salt. ...
  3. Step 3: Slice the Onion. ...
  4. Step 4: Cook the Onion. ...
  5. Step 5: Add Tomato Puree. ...
  6. Step 6: Cook Peppers. ...
  7. Step 7: Mushrooms and Zucchini. ...
  8. Step 8: Eggplant.

Is ratatouille a difficult dish? ›

A traditional ratatouille dish looks like it would be hard. But it's quite easy! In just 20 minutes, you'll have it ready for the oven. After that, you can go read a book while it cooks to perfection!

What is a short note on ratatouille? ›

Ratatouille is a summer vegetable stew that originated as a French Provencal dish from Nice. Think of the vegetables that grow well in your yard, ready to be picked together in late summer and early fall — that's ratatouille.

How to enhance ratatouille? ›

Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add ¼ teaspoon more) and black pepper. Serve in bowls, perhaps with a little drizzle of olive oil, additional chopped basil, or black pepper on top (all optional). Like all stews, this ratatouille's flavor improves as it cools. It's even better reheated the next day.

Why is my ratatouille watery? ›

It won't work in a wok or sauce pan – the heat is not spread out enough and the ratatouille will become too liquidy. So basically you kind of need to stick around in the kitchen and stir it often. If you see that there is too much liquid, turn the heat up.

How long should ratatouille be in the fridge? ›

Ratatouille can keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. And the best thing is that it often gets better after a day or two in the fridge since the flavours from the ratatouille ingredients have time to meld together. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container.

What are the most common ingredients used in ratatouille? ›

Ratatouille is a French Provencal dish that consists of stewed vegetables. Though recipes and ingredients vary, there are some ingredients that are almost always used: eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and bell peppers.

What is in classic French ratatouille? ›

Ratatouille is a delicious & healthy side dish from Provence made of baked eggplant, zucchinis, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions, seasoned with fragrant Herbes de Provence. The vegetables are robust in flavor, each distinctly seasoned.

What is a fun fact about ratatouille dish? ›

This beloved summer stew first emerged as a solution for hunger, as it was invented by poor farmers back in 1700s Provençe. With so many bellies to fill, nothing could go to waste. Accordingly, the French peasants would cook their leftover vegetables for hours to create a hearty, coarse stew.

What is the final dish in ratatouille called? ›

The final dish on the movie is Confit Byaldi, which was the brain child of Thomas Keller, an American chef.

What does Ratatouille mean in French? ›

The word ratatouille derives from the Occitan ratatolha and is related to the French ratouiller and tatouiller, expressive forms of the verb touiller, meaning "to stir up". From the late 18th century, in French, it merely indicated a coarse stew.

Why do they call it Ratatouille? ›

The teeming summer gardens of Mediterranean France are the inspiration for and source of ratatouille, a dish whose name is taken from two related words: ratouiller, meaning to agitate or stir a liquid, and tatouiller, meaning to beat (as in the drumbeat called the tattoo) or to shake.

Is Ratatouille Italian or French? ›

Ratatouille is a rustic southern French vegetable stew from Nice made with the best summer vegetables: Eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, onions and tomatoes. In some versions, the vegetables are combined and cooked together for a long period of time until they practically melt.

How to make the perfect ratatouille in Disney Dreamlight Valley? ›

To make ratatouille in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need to bring the following ingredients to any of the stoves/hobs in the game: eggplant (AKA aubergine), zucchini (AKA courgette), onion, tomato, and the spice of your choice. Simply chuck those food items into any active hob and your job will be done.

What is the moral of ratatouille? ›

It conveys a message that there are a lot of difficulties in our life, we just need to be like Remy, focus on our goals, and find out a way to achieve them. We all are unique in our own ways. We need to figure out our strengths and polish them from time to time.

Where does ratatouille say the best food is made? ›

Narrator : [on television] Although each of the world's countries would like to dispute this fact, we French know the truth: the best food in the world is made in France. The best food in France is made in Paris. And the best food in Paris, some say, is made by Chef Auguste Gusteau.

What is the main lesson of ratatouille? ›

Anyone can cook. This one is seriously emphasized in this movie by not only Chef Gusteau, but by the theme of the movie. And it's so true, if you want to cook, you can. If the rat in this movie can put that much precision into Ratatouille, you can throw together a new recipe.

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