Ratatouille is a Provençal vegetable stew of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and tomato, cooked down with garlic, olive oil, and herbs until everything is tender and the flavors have merged. It is the signature dish of Nice and the surrounding coast of southern France, and the name comes from old French words for stirring and tossing a pot. Done right it tastes like more than the sum of five common vegetables.
There are two schools. The traditional Niçoise method cooks each vegetable separately first, then combines them, so each one keeps its own character. The faster home method builds it in one pot in stages. Both are legitimate. This recipe uses the staged one-pot approach because it fits a weeknight, with a note on the separate-pan method below.
Why You Cook It in Stages
Each vegetable in ratatouille wants a different amount of heat and time. Eggplant needs enough oil and time to go from squeaky to silky. Peppers and onions want a slow soften. Zucchini turns to mush if you treat it like the eggplant. Tomatoes need to break down into a sauce. If you throw everything in at once, some pieces overcook while others stay raw. Adding them in order, firmest and slowest first, is the whole technique. The dish is otherwise very simple.
Salt the diced eggplant and let it sit for 20 minutes before cooking. This draws out some moisture and a little bitterness so it browns instead of steaming. Pat it dry before it goes in the pan.
Ratatouille
Serves 4 as a main with bread, or 6 as a side. Prep 25 minutes, cook 45 minutes, total about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt, for the eggplant, plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4 inch half moons
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, one red and one yellow, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, or 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, or a mix of thyme, oregano, and rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Black pepper to taste
Method
- Toss the eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and let it sit 20 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the eggplant in two batches, about 5 minutes each, adding a little more oil as needed. It should be golden and no longer spongy. Set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil and cook the zucchini until lightly browned but still firm, about 4 minutes. Set aside with the eggplant.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil, the onion, and the peppers with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring now and then, until soft and starting to color, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, herbes de Provence, and bay leaf. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened into a sauce, about 15 minutes.
- Return the eggplant and zucchini to the pot. Simmer gently 10 minutes more so the flavors merge and the vegetables finish softening. Do not stir hard or the zucchini will fall apart.
- Off the heat, remove the bay leaf. Stir in the basil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. It is even better the next day.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated by calculation for one of four servings, not lab verified.
| Calories | Protein | Carbohydrate | Fat | Fiber | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 280 | 6 g | 28 g | 19 g | 9 g | 560 mg |
Tips and Variations
- The traditional method: cook the eggplant, zucchini, and peppers in separate pans until each is done to its best, make the tomato and onion base, then fold everything together and simmer briefly. More pans, more control, cleaner individual flavors.
- Serve it: warm, room temperature, or cold. With crusty bread, over polenta, alongside a fried egg, or under grilled fish or lamb.
- Make ahead: it keeps five days refrigerated and freezes well. The flavor improves after a day.
- Tomato base: if you want to understand the sauce side of this dish, see the guide to the five mother sauces and the tomato sauce that anchors it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to salt the eggplant?
Modern eggplant is much less bitter than it used to be, so salting for flavor is optional. It still helps the eggplant brown rather than steam by drawing out surface moisture, which is worth the 20 minutes.
What is the difference between ratatouille and the movie version with the thin slices?
The fanned rounds baked in a dish are a related preparation often called tian or confit byaldi. Classic ratatouille is a stew of diced vegetables. Both are Provençal and both are correct, they are just different formats.
Why is my ratatouille watery?
Usually the tomato base did not reduce enough, or the vegetables were not browned first and released their water into the pot. Simmer the tomato uncovered until it is a thick sauce before the other vegetables go back in.
Can I make ratatouille without eggplant?
You can, and it will still be a good vegetable stew, but eggplant is one of the defining vegetables of the dish. If you leave it out, add another zucchini or some mushrooms for body.
Is ratatouille served hot or cold?
Both. In Provence it is often served at room temperature or cold, especially in summer, and it is a common part of a cold lunch spread. Reheated the next day it is arguably at its best.
Tools for the Job
A wide heavy pot with even heat lets the vegetables brown and then simmer in the same vessel, and a sharp knife makes the considerable dicing go fast.
- 13-Inch Damascus Chef Knife for the dicing
- Two-Tone XL Cutting Board
- Pots, Pans and Cookware for a Dutch oven
- Kitchen Essentials
More Technique Guides
These publish together as a set. The full recipe index lists everything on the site in one place.
Who Is Writing This
I am Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary training in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-time 4-Diamond chef. More about me here. If a step did not make sense, or the recipe missed something you needed, get in touch and I will fix it.
Thank you for cooking this one with us. From all of us at Wine Drop Cookery.
Ratatouille described as a seasonal vegetable stew of Provencal origin per Encyclopaedia Britannica.