If you want an authentic ratatouille recipe, this is the one you're looking for! This classic French vegetable stew is outrageously delicious and healthy — perfect for a meatless Monday meal or an easy side dish. Ready in under 1 hour!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Traditional Ratatouille Recipe:
- Ingredients And Substitutions
- How To Make This French Ratatouille Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making French Ratatouille:
- What To Serve With This Ratatouille Recipe
- Other Delicious Vegetarian Recipes To Try
- Nanou's Authentic Ratatouille Recipe
Why You'll Love This Traditional Ratatouille Recipe:
Before last year, whenever someone would use the word ratatouille, I would immediately think of the Disney Pixar movie, which is one of my faves! But I had never tried the dish until my mother-in-law decided to make it for me.
Turns out, this was one of her mother, Sylviane's (amazing!) recipes that she'd been eating for as long as she could remember. Over the years, I've been lucky enough to enjoy many of her recipes and I'm so glad I get to add this one to that list because this traditional ratatouille recipe is a keeper.
Like many French recipes, it takes simple ingredients and puts them together in a way that really makes them sing in perfect harmony. This is as healthy as it is delicious and a dish you'll find yourself coming back to and so easy. Needless to say, anyone can cook ratatouille (see what I did there?). And in case that's not enough reason to try it:
- Authentic ratatouille like they make it in France
- Made with 4 different vegetables
- Hearty and comforting
- Special enough for holidays and dinner parties to really "wow" your guests!
- But also great for everyday eating
- Budget-friendly
Ingredients And Substitutions
- Vegetables- This recipe is every vegetarian's dream! It's made with eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash (pattypan squash is preferable if available), and Roma tomatoes.
- Olive Oil- For sautéing. I love olive oil here for the flavor.
- Onion & Garlic- These aromatics add a ton of flavor. Honestly, I don't make many savory dishes without them!
- Herbs & Seasonings- You'll need fresh thyme, parsley, and basil, as well as salt, pepper, and optional crushed red pepper if you like a little heat.
How To Make This French Ratatouille Recipe
Step 1- Sauté the eggplant and zucchini.
Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan and heat over medium-high. Add the eggplant and sauté just until it starts to brown, then remove it from the pan. Add a touch more oil if needed, then cook the zucchini for 5 minutes.
Step 2- Add the onions and peppers.
When the zucchini is done, remove it from the pan as well. Add more oil if needed, then the onions and peppers. Cook to soften, then introduce the tomatoes, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir. Allow to cook for 5 more minutes.
Step 3- Assemble and simmer.
Return the eggplant and zucchini to the pan and partially cover. Reduce the heat to low and let the vegetable stew simmer for about 30-40 more minutes.
Stir in the basil and parsley just before serving and enjoy your traditional ratatouille recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
Ratatouille is a vegetable stew that originated in Provence, France. It's traditionally made on the stovetop, starting by cooking each vegetable separately in olive oil before combining them and simmering together.
Around 1-2 inches. Some recipes call to chop them much smaller or slice and bake but we prefer larger chunks.
We prefer it that way in my house, but feel free to leave the skin on yours if you prefer.
I've seen some French ratatouille recipes cook it that way (usually in the oven), but that's not how our family does it.
Yes! Like soups and stews, this recipe gets even better as it sits. You can make it up to a couple of days ahead — it reheats very well.
Fresh ingredients! The best ratatouilles are made with high-quality fresh vegetables, olive oil, and herbs.
Tips For Making French Ratatouille:
- Like most great grandma recipes, the amounts are just approximate — cook and season with your heart.
- Chop the veggies evenly. Try your best to cut all of the vegetables into similar-sized pieces. This will help them cook evenly.
- Cook in batches. The cooking is done in the order of what takes the longest to shortest to cook. Remember to remove each item from the pan before adding the next vegetable.
- Stir periodically. Be sure to stir the stew as it simmers to keep it from sticking. But don't overdo it either — lifting up the cover too much will cause it to cook more slowly.
- Taste test. Always taste before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Chop the onions, peppers, and zucchini. You can also clean the fresh herbs.
- Leftovers and storage- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat single servings in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or larger portions gently in a pan over medium-low.
What To Serve With This Ratatouille Recipe
In my house, we typically enjoy this classic ratatouille recipe on its own, but it would also be great over rice or pasta. And make sure you have a nice crusty piece of bread to soak up all those delicious juices.
For dessert, try a blueberry lemon dump cake or my easy coconut cake!
Other Delicious Vegetarian Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Nanou's Authentic Ratatouille Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil + a little more only if you need it
- 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut to 2 inch chunks
- 2 red or green bell peppers, seeds removed and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced and cubed
- 1 large onion, large dice
- 4 roma tomatoes, seeded and large dice
- 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional for heat)
- 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parley
- 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in large saute pan over medium high heat.
- Add eggplant and saute until just starting to brown, stirring often- about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan.
- Add remaining Tablespoon oil and saute zucchini for 5 minutes and remove from pan.
- Add a tiny bit more oil (only if needed) then add onions and peppers, Saute to soften about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and thyme and cook about 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, garlic, salt and black pepper and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 5 more minutes..
- Add eggplant and zucchini back into pan. Partially cover and reduce heat to low and cook around 30-40 more minutes, stirring periodically.
- Stir in parsley and basil 2 minutes before you finish cooking. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Like most great grandma recipes, the amounts are just approximate — cook and season with your heart.
- Chop the veggies evenly. Try your best to cut all of the vegetables into similar-sized pieces. This will help them cook evenly.
- Cook in batches. The cooking is done in the order of what takes the longest to shortest to cook. Remember to remove each item from the pan before adding the next vegetable.
- Stir periodically. Be sure to stir the stew as it simmers to keep it from sticking. But don't overdo it either — lifting up the cover too much will cause it to cook more slowly.
- Taste test. Always taste before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Chop the onions, peppers, and zucchini. You can also clean the fresh herbs.
- Leftovers and storage- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat single servings in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or larger portions gently in a pan over medium-low.
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