Traditional Ratatouille Recipe

Why This Recipe is a Keeper:

If ever there was a summer comfort food, this traditional French Ratatouille recipe has got to be it. I eagerly look forward to making it every summer when our garden goes into high gear. This easy ratatouille is a great way to use up garden produce, and it tastes better the next day!

In some ratatouille recipes, the vegetables are sautéed, browned, or roasted on baking sheets in stages, combined, then stewed in a pan in the oven or on the stovetop.

I prefer the stovetop method, which is the traditional ratatouille method. However, I only briefly simmer it on the stovetop because the vegetables retain more of their texture.

Ratatouille requires some knife work, but all the vegetables are cut into ½-inch or 1-inch pieces, which goes much faster than chopping or cutting them into fine dice.

Another reason Ratatouille rocks is that it’s so versatile! Enjoy it over brown rice, quinoa, and couscous or with crusty, toasted, or grilled French bread. It can be served hot, at room temperature, or even cold. It’s vegan and gluten-free, so it’s perfect for anyone to enjoy!

Is Ratatouille French?

Original 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.

Traditionally, it was considered a peasant dish because it was made with leftover vegetables, sometimes even vegetable scraps, and the “rough cut” vegetable preparation style. It could be eaten with low-cost items like rice, pasta, or bread.

In the 2007 Pixar film Ratatouille, the dish the chef served to the restaurant critic is not Ratatouille but a vegetable tian that uses some or all of the same ingredients. A tian is arranged and layered in a casserole and baked. Again, traditional Ratatouille is a vegetable stew, not an arranged dish.

How to Make a Traditional Ratatouille Recipe:

Ratatouille Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this traditional Ratatouille recipe. The exact quantities are in the recipe card below.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Eggplant:  Eggplant is one of the main ingredients in traditional French Ratatouille. It’s commonly believed that eggplant must always be salted before cooking to draw out the bitterness. However, eggplant characteristically has a mild but pleasing bitterness, so salting is a personal preference. It develops a pronounced bitter flavor when an eggplant gets large and seedy. I salt the eggplant for this dish because it won’t absorb as much oil when cooked. Extracting liquid from the eggplant makes it less spongy, resulting in less oil absorption. After draining and before cooking, pat dry with paper towels to remove the excess moisture and salt.
• Bell Peppers:  Use any sweet bell pepper or combination:  Red, Yellow or Orange.
• Dry White Wine: Always use a wine you would enjoy drinking. I like to use a Chardonnay in cooking because it goes with so many things. Alcohol Substitute: If you don’t wish to use alcohol, use vegetable broth or even water then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar.
• Crushed Tomatoes: Use canned crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes that you crush yourself or a fresh tomato sauce such as my Parma-Style Tomato Sauce.
• Seasonings:  Even though Ratatouille is all about summer freshness, I use dried oregano because the flavor is concentrated and is released as the stew simmers.  Fresh herbs are always best added near the end of the cooking process, but I didn’t want fresh oregano and fresh basil competing with one another.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather and measure all the ingredients.  The French call this mise en place or “everything in its place,” which refers to the preparation and set-up before cooking.
• Cube the eggplant first, place it in a colander, then generously salt it with a teaspoon or so of salt.
• Let it drain while prepping the remaining vegetables.

• Chop the remaining vegetables while the eggplant drains.

• Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel.
• Heat some of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, reduce to medium heat, and brown the eggplant.  Transfer it to a bowl.

• Refresh the oil if needed, then add the zucchini and yellow squash. Cook until they begin to brown and soften a bit.
• Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.

• Refresh the oil again if needed.
• Toss in the onion and cook until it begins to soften.
• Then add the bell peppers.  Cook until they soften up then add the garlic and give it a stir until it’s fragrant.
• Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and let that reduce for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes.

• Return the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash to the pot and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.

• Season with salt and pepper and toss in the fresh basil.
• Delish!
• MAKE AHEAD:  Make the ratatouille as directed to the point of adding the fresh basil.  Cool, then refrigerate for 1 to 2 days for best quality.  (The ratatouille will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.)  When ready to serve, add 1/2 cup water, stir, and gently reheat over medium-low heat.  Add the fresh basil when ready to serve.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• The eggplant needs approximately 20 to 30 minutes to drain in the colander, so you’ll want to do that before chopping anything else. That amount of time gives you time to prep the remaining vegetables. 
• After browning, remove the eggplant, yellow squash, and zucchini as quickly as possible. When left to sit in the oil even for a short while, they can absorb oil.
• Rub dried herbs such as the oregano in this dish between your fingers as you sprinkle it into the pot.  This helps to “wake up” the flavor of dried herbs and spices.

What to serve with ratatouille:

• Crusty bread!
• A simply dressed salad with oil and vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
• Zucchini Ricotta Fritters
• White Bean Artichoke Spread with Rosemary Sea Salt Flatbread Chips
• Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup
• Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup with Curry
• Chocolate Avocado Mousse

More vegetarian recipes you’ll love!

• Moroccan-Spiced Caponata
• Mediterranean Vegetable Galette
• Provencal Vegetable and Goat Cheese Tart
• Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Stew with Polenta

Get all my vegetarian and vegan recipes at Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen