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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love This Easy Ratatouille Recipe
- What Is Ratatouille?
- Ratatouille Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Ratatouille
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Ratatouille Recipes
- More Summer Vegetable Recipes
- Tools I Use For This Ratatouille Recipe
- Ratatouille Recipe (Easy!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
This easy ratatouille dish may look spectacular, but it’s surprisingly simple to put together, and packed with healthy and fresh vegetables that just “scream summer”. Serve it as a side to chicken or fish, or make it the star of a vegetarian meal. (I’m not vegetarian, but this and eggplant rollatini are my 2 faves every once in a while.) After countless tests, it’s the best ratatouille recipe I’ve ever tried… including one I had when we visited France!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Ratatouille Recipe
- Hearty and savory flavors
- Soft & tender veggies in velvety sauce
- Fresh, simple ingredients
- Naturally healthy, gluten-free, low carb, and vegan
- Perfect side dish or vegetarian main dish
- One of the best ways to enjoy the seasonal flavors of summer!
What Is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable dish from the South of France, made with eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and sometimes bell peppers. Some ratatouille recipes make it as a vegetable stew, while others bake it as more of a casserole.
Ratatouille Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains what is in ratatouille, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Ratatouille Sauce:
- Diced Tomatoes – Since they will be pureed into a sauce, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce can be used as a substitute for diced tomatoes in this easy ratatouille recipe.
- Olive Oil – I prefer extra virgin olive oil, but you can use avocado oil, vegetable oil, or another oil of your choice.
- Balsamic Vinegar – This yields the best flavor and subtle sweetness, but you could also use red wine vinegar, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar in a pinch.
- Herbs de Provence – Used in French cuisine, this spice blend typically includes dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, savory, and sometimes lavender flowers. You can substitute Italian seasoning if you can’t find Herbs de Provence.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh garlic, but if you need a shortcut, use 1 1/2 teaspoons of jarred garlic instead.
- Fresh Basil – You’ll need 2 tablespoons for the sauce, plus more for garnish. If you don’t have any fresh basil, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of dried basil in the sauce and skip the garnish. You can also try other fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, rosemary, and oregano.
- Sea Salt
TIP: Use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes if you don’t have a blender.
You’ll need a blender to make the sauce in this recipe for ratatouille, but if you don’t have one, you can just use tomato sauce and stir the ingredients together instead.
Vegetables:
- Roma Tomatoes – You could use any tomatoes that are large enough to slice, but roma are the perfect size for this dish.
- Zucchini – You can also use other summer squash, such as yellow squash and patty pan squash, as they are similar in texture and flavor.
- Eggplant – You don’t need to peel it, but you can if you like.
- Onion – A yellow onion or a white onion are most common in a traditional ratatouille recipe.
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – If you like more heat, you add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.
Some ratatouille recipes also use bell peppers, but these are primarily for the stew version. You can add them here if you like, though.
TIP: Cut the veggies to the same size.
I prefer thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick, for fast and even cooking. Cut the eggplant slices into quarters, so that they are a similar size to the tomato and zucchini slices. Uniform size and thickness will ensure that the vegetables all cook at the same rate.
How To Make Ratatouille
This section shows how to cook this ratatouille recipe, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Make the sauce. Preheat oven. Combine ratatouille sauce ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Spread sauce in a thin layer in a medium casserole dish.
- Assemble the ratatouille recipe. Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onions in a spiral, alternating them. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
TIP: To make it easier to arrange, you can set up the alternating rows on a cutting board first.
Then, transfer them in stacks to the pan, fanning them out as you do this.
- Bake. Cook until veggies are tender and the sauce is bubbly at the edges. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep ratatouille in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also just cover the baking dish with foil.
- Meal prep: You can cut veggies for ratatouille ahead of time and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for several days, until ready to assemble.
- Reheat: To reheat this easy ratatouille recipe, bake it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees F, or microwave for a minute or so if you’re in a rush.
- Freeze: Ratatouille keeps well in the freezer for up to 3 months, without the basil. It’s best to undercook it slightly before freezing, to prevent the vegetables from becoming too soft when reheated. You can reheat from frozen, but for best results, thaw in the fridge overnight first.
TIP: Do not freeze raw ratatouille.
The veggies will degrade in texture due to the enzyme activity in them, so you should at least partially cook this dish before you freeze it.
What To Serve With Ratatouille Recipes
Ratatouille recipes make the perfect side dish to just about anything, but because the flavors are so rich, I like to keep the main protein on the simpler side to let the ratatouille shine! Here are a few of my favorites to try:
- Chicken – For a simple protein, pair it with crispy baked chicken thighs or juicy baked chicken breasts. When you want to impress, make French chicken dishes like French onion chicken, creamy chicken Florentine, or even coq au vin!
- Fish – Serve this ratatouille recipe with Chilean sea bass (it comes with an irresistible French sauce!), simple baked salmon, or nut crusted baked haddock for a light meal that also feels special.
- Beef & Lamb – Make Instant Pot short ribs while you have ratatouille in the oven, or prepare baked lamb chops and cook them quickly right after the veggies are done.
- Potatoes – If you want to add a heartier side, try Greek lemon potatoes (they work surprisingly well alongside the flavors here) or an air fryer baked potato.
More Summer Vegetable Recipes
This ratatouille dish is one of my favorite summer veggie recipes, but here are some other reader favorites using the same vegetables with summer flavors:
Tools I Use For This Ratatouille Recipe
- Blender – Ratatouille sauce comes together in just a minute or two with my fave blender.
- Casserole Dish – This is the one I used. It’s the perfect size and easy to clean!
Ratatouille Recipe (Easy!)
Make this easy ratatouille recipe with zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, balsamic and herbs. It's bursting with fresh flavors!
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Ratatouille Sauce:
Ratatouille Vegetables:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
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Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. If needed, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
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Spread the sauce in a thin layer in a medium round or oval casserole dish (this one is the perfect size).
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Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onion in a spiral, alternating them. (You'll want the eggplant slices cut into quarters so that they are similar size to the tomato, zucchini and onion slices.) Drizzle with olive oil on top, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
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Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until veggies are tender and sauce is bubbly at the edges.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
55 Comments
Stacy
1This is one of my favorite recipes on the website and have made it many times. I like to crumble goat cheese on top the last 10 minutes or so. My oldest daughter suggested adding pepperonies in between the veggies for a one-dish meal and sometimes I do that too – we love it.
Rhonda
0We snack on Hormel turkey Pepperoni all the time. Love the idea of adding Pepperoni to this dish! Thanks for the idea! I was thinking about thin sliced ham…but pepperoni…Yum! R
Hannah
0I went into my journey of cooking ratatouille for the first time with a fear of the unknown. I thought surely it’s difficult and any recipe is going to be adamant about a specific way that you absolutely must do it, however I was so pleased to discover this recipe and how chill it’s author was, and the ratatouille itself was so good!
Jane
0I love this recipe! It’s so fresh and healthy, and just so easy to make. I’m always looking for ways to get more veggies in my day, and this is a great way to do it.
Jenn
0This was so good! I made this as a side for dinner with smoked chicken, but it really stole the show. It was so fun to serve and eat, and a great way to cook zucchini!
Lisa
0This veggie dish came out looking and tasting amazing. It was super easy to make, too.
Liz
0This ratatouille was the perfect way to use our produce from our garden! So yummy and nice and light. Will make again.
Angela
0Great recipe! I made it with vegetables from my garden. I love the way it is layered.
Joey
0Is there any chance you can assemble this dish a day in advance, or would the veggies get ruined by sitting in the sauce for too long before baking it? It looks delicious and I really want to make it! Thanks 😊
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Joey, Yes, you can assemble this dish ahead of time.
Joey
0Thanks for your response! I am going to try to get it assembled today for baking for tomorrow 🙂 So excited to try it!
Shana B
0This is a great way to get veggies in! I’ve never made ratatouille before, I appreciate your instructions and simple recipe. It was delicious and I’ll be making it again. We paired it with baked salmon. Winner recipe!
Asli
0I tried this a couple days ago and loved it. The only change I made was to bake for 40 minutes total and it was perfect.
Devyn
0Great!
Gina D from Texas
0Looks delicious! Have you ever cooked it with slices of mozzarella cheese on between the vegetables? I’m thinking that might make it even more yummy (I love cheese 😉). Of course then I guess it wouldn’t be ratatouille. 🤷♀️
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Gina, I have never done that but it sounds delicious!
Michelle B
0Hello are there any other recommendations in place of the squash? I have an intolerance to both zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli or cauliflower, so making some of these things can be hard for me. Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michelle, I recommend checking out my keto vegetable list to see which ones would work best for you.
Isabelle
0I love love love this recipe! I have made is multiple times now with teriyaki salmon on the side! It usually takes around 45 minutes to cook though not 30 🙂
Matthew
0Thank you! Very easy and delicious recipe. The Ratatouille went great with my grilled salmon and lemon jasmine rice.
Sonia
0This recipe truly is an amazing dish to try out!! I made it for the first time on Mother’s Day brunch and with all the sweets and breakfast goodies this was the only dish that was completely polished off. I loved the sauce so much I made 3x the sauce base abs served it in the side to top off the quiche and other savory items I served. Craved it so much I have since made this recipe 2x times this week. Only modification I did was add Buffalo mozzarella slices in between some of the veggies and served with poached eggs and prosciutto. This will be a regular in our house now! Thank you for sharing!!
Rachel
0It looks spectacular and I’m sure it will taste amazing when it finally cooks. I made mine in a Dutch oven (without lid) and it needs A LOT more time.
Sabrina
0My kids are not huge veggie fans unless there is some sort of pasta involved…but they ate the whole pan just on its own!
Janet Hofmann
0I made this with Genoa or salami I know it’s a vedge dish but I just had to do it! I tried to make the vedge version and my men (son, and husband) said no to dinner without the meat so it was an absolute hit I can make this again I really enjoyed this recipe The fresh herbs from my garden were parsley, basil, garlic, and onion, and I added oregano! The olive oil and balsamic vinegar are a must the providence spices are also important! All that I changed was addition of oregano and salami I recommend it. Worth layering I appreciated having a use for my eggplants I grew this yr in my garden! Thank you great recipe even Antione in the movie would have to agree!!! My son loved it.
Wayne
0Going to try it. What do you recommend as far as oven temperature, cooking time, covered or uncovered?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Wayne, All these details and ingredients can be found on the recipe card. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Covering is not necessary.
Claire
0Made this recipe for dinner last night and it was amazing. The sauce is so yummy I was licking the pan. My first time making ratatouille and this will be my go to recipe moving forward. Thanks for sharing! 10/10
Suzanne
0I don’t use balsamic vinegar in mine. I chop up the vegetables, put them all in a sauce pot with the tomatoes on the stove. I serve over Miracle or Coconut Noodles with or without mozzarella cheese and some ground beef or another protein. I use similar spices and some hot pepper flakes. Without any meat and cheese, it also has negligible calories.
Barbara
0This is the second time I have made this delicious recipe! I doubled the recipe this time because one is going to a potluck, so we definitely want to have one for my husband and I. This dish becomes more flavorful each day as the flavors seem to infuse as an incredible leftover. The only thing I did differently was to add yellow squash to the veggies. So colorful! Oh, we also sprinkled a bit of grated Parmesan on our serving amount for an extra zing! Thanks for this great recipe!
Linda
0Made this tonight…. yum.. yum.. yummy.. yum yum… Lick your chops, lick your plate… yummy.
Janine Smith
0This was a great recipe. We love Ratatouille! It is always a show stopper because it looks beautiful and tastes delicious. Slicing and stacking the veggies is a bit time consuming, but using a Mandoline Slicer really speeds up the process and keeps everything the same size. Sometimes I add a pie crust, or some panko bread crumbs on top for crunch.
Noémie
0Super easy and delicious !
Susie Wall
0I was looking for a dish to go with my maple salmon. I couldn’t find the amounts of all the ingredients or the instructions, so I just winged it. Turns out I did pretty well. But I undercooked it because I like some veggies more raw, (like zucchini) but I did add more oil and balsamic in the sauce. I actually had too much sauce. I would have preferred it less watery. Next time I will drain the diced tomato’s. The flavor was fantastic. I couldn’t believe how healthy this was too. What a great side dish that is easy and impressive looking as well as delicious. I think I need to use it when we have friends over. And buy the ingredients at the farmers market (It’s Feb 2021 in MN)
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Susie, I’m glad you were inspired by the recipe! The recipe card is located about halfway down the page. Feel free to use the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the post to navigate to it quickly.
Margaret
0Hi, I am Margaret Lane, I just bought The Diet Cook Book for Beginners, the recipes on the computer, are not in the Keto Cook Book that I have, Did I buy the wrong KETO Diet Book ? Thank you, very much,, would you please let me know ?, also, I am having a very hard time with the Keto Book, the few things I did make came out terrible, I am 71 years of age, my weight is very high, It’s 187 pounds, and I am also close of getting diabetes, That Is why I got your book In the first place, my Doctor, said for me to do this, first before he has to give me something else, Is this the right book that I should have bought ?, I find that the cook book does not have amounts to eat and also how much to buy and how many spices to put In when cooking, would you please get back to me? Thank you very much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Margaret, Sorry to hear you had issues with the recipes in the book you purchased, but that is not my book. My (first) book is the Easy Keto Cookbook – you can get it here. If you need help with keto and like my recipes, you might also like Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes ad-free recipe access, dedicated support, and more.
Alysha
0My husband and I liked this recipe so much more than the popular one on tasty. This will be our go to from now on.
Sandie
0I made this yesterday and cooked for 40 mins at 350 it was not cooked properly, thank goodness I was not having a dinner party! I would recommend covering with foil and cooking a bit higher.
Margie Dickey
0You say that the serving size in the instructions but I can’t find it. I read the whole thing three times and don’t know why I can’t find it…lol. What is the serving size??
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Margie, Sorry about that. The serving size is 1/2 cup. Enjoy!
Doreen
0Really liked the recipe, the sauce was delicious and easy to follow. I did add a little more garlic, and I also added sliced red pepper with the vegetables. It looked so fancy and impressive. I will make this again.
Melissa Storms
0Thank you! I planted so much eggplant and so many tomato plants because I usually lose at least half of my plants early from dampening off. This year every.single.plant thrived and produced, and produced. I have twice dropped off six shopping bags full if veggies to my local food pantry and now the eggplant has really started producing. I think my family will love this recipe and I have everything on hand to make 1 for now and several to freeze for later.
Carol
0What a lovely recipe! It was delicious, beautiful to look at and not very hard to prepare. Thank you for posting.
Georgia Morgan
0Hi Maya,
I’ve been told that eggplant needs to be salted and let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow the bitter liquid to drain out. Does this recipe require that process?
Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Georgia, That is not necessary with this recipe. Enjoy!
Arielle
0Loved it. Very easy and was a big hit. I’d definitely make it again.
Anna Rubato
0This is a very savoury dish, a riot of colours, an explosion of flavours. I loved preparing it. So far I had only ever prepared ratatouille in a saucepan (cutting the veges into fine cubes). I love the baked variant and decidedly prefer it. The recipe can easily be varied upon, depending on the veges at your disposal.
Stacy Barnes
0I made this tonight as a side to fish – it was amazing! The only thing I did differently, was added goat cheese crumbled on top before serving (because I tend to think everything needs cheese….!) Delicious, and surprisingly easy – this is something I would order in a restaurant but not ever attempt to make at home until I started cooking keto a couple of months ago. Thank you!
WowRivers
0This looks delicious!
Karen
0Hi Maya, I made this dish last night to go with some chicken, it was really delish 🙂 Thank you, I can’t wait to try your mushroom recipe ! Cheers, Karen
Erica Schwarz
0This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this for my family!
Jenni
0I made this for a get together last night and it turned out so great! Everyone commented how much they loved it! I will definitely be using this recipe again!
Tiffany
0Making this tonight with a beef roast! Needed something different after Thanksgiving. It smells amazing already!
Lydia Taylor
0This looks so yummy! What size can for the diced tomatoes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Lydia! Sorry about that missing info – it’s a 14.5-oz can. I updated it on the recipe card.