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For a showcase of summer flavors, make ratatouille! This rustic French classic roasts in the oven for a juicy vegetable stew that’s wonderful on its own or served as a side.

Blue pot filled with cooked ratatouille, featuring chopped vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers, on a wooden table with a loaf of bread, parsley, and a dark cloth nearby.

Remember that brief moment when everyone was obsessed with ratatouille when the movie came out? The dish fell away to other trends, but in truth it will always be a summer staple.

Unlike the tian-style dish that became popular after the film, this simple baked version goes back to its rustic roots and uses chopped rather than sliced veggies. Who has time to meticulously slice and arrange all those vegetables? I sure don’t!

This one is easy: simply pile in the summer vegetables, pour over some whisked seasonings, and let the oven do its thing. Everything gets tender and juicy, perfect for scooping up with your favorite French bread or just enjoying as a stew.

Give this one a try (maybe during the next summer thunderstorm) and see why it’s such a classic!

Ingredients for ratatouille

This is just an overview. For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card, or use the button on the side.

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Top-down view of labeled ingredients for a vegetable dish, including tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, onion, parsley, basil, olive oil, spices, and tomato paste.

You’ll need:

Eggplant
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Tomato paste
Water or broth
Salt and pepper
Dried thyme
Dried oregano
Crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh basil
Fresh parsley

Paste tomatoes like Roma or San Marzano are best here because they are less watery than globe tomatoes. If you use non-paste tomatoes, it will take longer for the juices to cook down in the dish.

A blue pot filled with ratatouille made of chopped vegetables sits on a wooden table, next to parsley, a cloth napkin, and a loaf of bread.

How to make this ratatouille recipe

First, chop all of your vegetables. There’s no need to peel here, as the skins on the eggplant and tomatoes will cook into the stew. If your zucchini is excessively large and seedy, you might want to consider removing the core, but it’s generally not needed. This stew is meant to be rustic, so work with what you have!

Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly coat a 9×13-inch casserole or 3-quart baking dish with nonstick spray or olive oil.

Pile in the chopped vegetables. Don’t worry about arranging now; we’ll do that later.

A green bowl filled with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions sits on a wooden surface next to a wooden spoon and a striped cloth.

A hand whisks a bowl of herb vinaigrette on a wooden table, next to a bowl of chopped vegetables and a striped cloth.

In a bowl, combine olive oil, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and crushed pepper flakes and whisk until smooth. Pour it over the vegetables and mix everything to coat well, then spread into an even layer.

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At this point your dish might look very full, but as the vegetables cook down they will reduce in size.

A blue pot filled with diced, seasoned vegetables including zucchini, bell peppers, onion, eggplant, and tomatoes sits on a wooden surface next to a wooden spoon and a striped cloth.

Blue pot filled with cooked ratatouille, including zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and red peppers, on a dark wooden table next to a folded striped cloth.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Stir well, then return to the oven and continue baking another 25-30 minutes. The vegetables should be very tender and juices reduced.

Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil and parsley, then serve ratatouille with freshly grated parmesan.

A blue pot filled with cooked ratatouille made of chopped vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, onion, and herbs sits on a wooden table next to a loaf of bread.

Recipe tips

You can use yellow crookneck squash (or any other summer squash) in place of the zucchini, or in combination with it.

If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can use canned petite diced tomatoes. Using crushed tomatoes will give you a thicker sauce without chunks of tomato.

While not strictly necessary, salting the eggplant before cooking can help draw out some of the bitterness. Simply sprinkle salt over the diced eggplant in a colander and let it stand 10-20 minutes, then rinse and pat dry before adding to the dish. You can avoid a lot of the bitterness by choosing smaller eggplant, which have fewer seeds that cause it.

Instead of the dried thyme and oregano, you can use herbes de provence, which is a blend that also includes rosemary and summer savory.

Have extra eggplant on hand? Make slow cooker eggplant parmesan, delicious over pasta!

A bowl of ratatouille with chopped vegetables and grated cheese, placed on a wooden table next to a fork, bread, and a striped cloth.

Storage tips

Stews like ratatouille are even better the next day! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and use within 3 days. I heat leftovers on the stove, in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat.

Freeze homemade ratatouille in individual portions using containers like SouperCubes, then transfer to vacuum-sealed bags for long-term storage. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm on the stove.

This easy ratatouille recipe is my favorite way to eat eggplant and zucchini. It’s a true French classic!

Ratatouille

This oven-baked ratatouille is a simple, rustic dish for enjoying summer vegetables.

Author : Megan Myers

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Print Pin Recipe Review

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories per serving 261 kcal

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch thick half-moons
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons water, or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch or 3 to 3 1/2 quart baking dish.
Combine the eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and tomatoes in the baking dish.
1 medium eggplant, 2 medium zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 medium yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 Roma tomatoes
In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, tomato paste, water, salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes until smooth. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and toss thoroughly to coat evenly.
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Spread the vegetables into an even layer. The dish will look very full at first before the vegetables cook down.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, lightly caramelized around the edges, and most of the liquid has reduced.
Top with the basil and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, Grated Parmesan cheese

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We’ll email a link to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, we’ll send new recipes to your inbox weekly.

Nutrition

Calories: 261 kcalCarbohydrates: 23 gProtein: 5 gFat: 19 gSaturated Fat: 3 gSodium: 697 mgPotassium: 995 mgFiber: 8 gSugar: 12 gIron: 2 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

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