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GET IT NOWMy Easy Ratatouille Recipe Is A Spiral Of Fresh French Flavor
If you think French food is all baguettes and croissants, let me introduce you to my ratatouille recipe. This classic French dish looks fancy, but it’s actually so simple and packed with fresh summer veggies. I first enjoyed it in the South of France, and here’s why I made this version the way I did:
- Layers upon layers of tender vegetables over herby tomato sauce – Many ratatouille recipes chop them small and saute in lots of sauce like a stew, but this layered spiral is by far my favorite way to make it. It’s just like my favorite one I had in France (and I later learned, it’s like the kind in the movie, too). Having this velvety, flavorful sauce on the bottom lets the veggies caramelize a little on top without giving up flavor.
- Fresh, simple ingredients – This ratatouille dish is a burst of fresh produce! Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions are the best of summer, but also a little cozy when we head into fall.
- So pretty, but so easy – I’m partial to beautiful food, but only if it’s simple! This is the best of both worlds.
This photo is from one of our strolls in the South of France. If you want to feel like you’re there, grab your veggies and make this easy ratatouille recipe with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my ratatouille recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Vegetables – I used sliced Roma tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onions. You can also add or swap in yellow squash or patty pan squash. Some ratatouille recipes also use bell peppers, but these are primarily for the stew version.
- Canned Tomatoes – I usually use diced tomatoes, but crushed ones or even tomato sauce works fine. See my tips below to help you decide.
- Balsamic Vinegar – Adds a little tang and sweetness to this ratatouille. You can try a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar instead, but they’re not quite the same because they aren’t sweet.
- Herbs de Provence – I use this French spice blend and it takes me back to Nice, France! It has thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, savory, and lavender flowers. If you can’t find it, Italian seasoning will work.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh minced garlic, but you can substitute 1/2 tablespoon of jarred garlic or 3/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Olive Oil, Sea Salt, & Black Pepper – For roasting. Toss in some red pepper flakes if you want some heat.
- Fresh Basil – I use some in the sauce and extra on top of the ratatouille dish. If you don’t have any, add an extra 2 teaspoons of Herbs de Provence — but I don’t recommend it on top.
How To Make Ratatouille
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender, and 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. Start on the outer edge of the dish and work inward. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
- Bake until tender and bubbly. I like to garnish with fresh basil, but feel free to use any fresh herbs you’ve got.
My Recipe Tips
- Choose vegetables similar in size, and cut as needed. This means medium-large tomatoes (I used Romas because they’re the perfect size), small onions, and small eggplants (which are sweeter and less bitter anyway). You’ll still want to cut the eggplant into quarters.
- Cut the veggies to the same thickness, too. I recommend thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick, for fast and even cooking. Uniform size and thickness will ensure that the vegetables all cook at the same rate.
- A mandoline like this makes slicing faster and easier. I’ve made this ratatouille dish with just a sharp knife before, but it’s much faster with my mandoline! Highly recommend.
- If your eggplant is larger, you may need to salt it. Again, I recommend a smaller size anyway, but if you only have a big one, sprinkle it with salt and let it sit for 20 minutes to remove any bitterness. Rinse and pat dry before layering it in.
- If you don’t have a blender, use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes and just stir the sauce together. This will get you closer to that smooth sauce texture, although it’s not quite as silky as blended.
- To make the vegetables easier to arrange, set up the alternating rows on a cutting board first. I just transfer them in stacks to the pan, fanning them out as I go.
- My ratatouille recipe is ideal in a medium baking dish, not too big or too small. I use this one (shown in my pictures here) and it’s the perfect size. Plus, there’s an option for a lid for easy storage! If your pan is too big, it won’t feel like enough sauce and the vegetables can dry out.
Ratatouille Recipe (Fresh, Easy Side Dish)
Make my easy ratatouille recipe with zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and onions layered in herby tomato sauce. A fresh, flavorful side dish!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Ratatouille Sauce:
Vegetables:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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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 ratatouille for about 30-35 minutes, until veggies are tender and sauce is bubbly at the edges.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to to help your ratatouille cook evenly, avoid bitter eggplant, arrange the spiral more easily, and more.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. If it’s only a day or two, I just cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Meal prep: You can chop the veggies ahead of time and stash them in airtight containers in the fridge. The eggplant is the exception — I recommend slicing it right before cooking, or it will brown.
- Reheat: Pop the dish in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or microwave individual portions.
- Freeze: This ratatouille recipe freezes great for up to 3 months. If I’m making it to freeze, I undercook it a bit, so the veggies are less mushy later. (Don’t freeze it raw, either, or the texture will be even worse.) Thaw before reheating.
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Ratatouille Recipe
Serving Ideas
Ratatouille makes an amazing side for any of my French main dishes, or just a simple protein to let the veggie dish shine:
- Every day French dishes – My most recent French dinner favorites are chicken paillard and salmon en papillote, but I’ve also enjoyed ratatouille with French onion chicken and chicken Florentine (yes, it’s French, not Italian!).
- Fancy French dishes – For a special occasion, try my Chilean sea bass with beurre blanc, lobster thermidor, or coq au vin. Start the meal with my chicken liver pate!
- Simple dishes – If you just want a simple weeknight dinner, you can’t go wrong with crispy baked chicken thighs, juicy baked chicken breasts, flaky baked salmon, or a tender petite sirloin steak.
- Potatoes – If you want to add a heartier side, my Greek lemon potatoes work surprisingly well alongside the flavors here.
75 Comments
Jenn
1This 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!
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
Shana B
1This 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
1I 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.
Vanessa
0I’m not a real fan of eggplant, but in ratatouille, I do like it. This recipe came out quite delicious. I like this style of ratatouille with the thin slices and being baked so much better than the diced-and-stewed version I grew up eating long ago.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m glad you liked it, Vanessa! I agree, thin-sliced and baked really does make such a difference.
Kevin Anderson
0I love this recipe! I did it because of the movie and it was easy. I really loved it. I added mushrooms. My wife has me triple the sauce, just for the sauce. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I had it a handful of times since I first tried it
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you loved it, Kevin! Mushrooms sound like a lovely addition.
Ruthy
0Great recipe, super easy and tasty. My only comment is that I cook it for twice as long as written as it is slightly undercooked with the listed time!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Ruthy! The time can vary widely depending on the thickness of the pieces. Yours were probably thicker than mine, so took longer.
Courtney
0It was delicious! I even ate the onions & I do not normally like onions!!!
Britany
0We aren’t a fan of eggplant, so we use summer squash instead. It works amazing and tastes great everytime. Making it tonight for our 1 year old to try for the first time and excited for her to hopefully (fingers crossed) enjoy this dish as much as we do.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Britany! Yes, this dish is very versatile even without the eggplant. I hope your 1 year old likes it!
Judy Kalas
0Yummy and easy to make! Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked this ratatouille, Judy! Enjoy!
Lisa Martinez
0OK, so I tried this today, not expecting much. Usually the cooking times are not right, and the flavor is weird. This is delicious, and cooked perfectly as directed. It tastes so fresh, like I walked out to the garden and picked my dinner. Thank you. Also, it’s beautiful.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Lisa! Agree, I love the fresh taste of this dish. Enjoy!
Teresa Dower
0I used this recipe for the first time when we were hosting overnight guests. I usually try a new recipe out first but just decided to hope for the best this time since we had so many veggies in our garden and I haven’t been fond of my regular ratatouille recipe lately. Everyone loved it. It was amazing!
Luci
0This didn’t taste very good. The eggplant cooked wrong. The top edge will dry out if you don’t cover it. It also needed longer than 35 minutes to cook.
Do not recommend. There seems to be no shortcuts in making this dish. If it’s going to be good, then it’s going to be a labor of love.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Luci, Sorry to hear the dish didn’t turn out as expected. I’ve never had an issue with the eggplant drying out, could it be that your pieces were very large and sticking out a lot? You can certainly cover it if you like next time. As for the baking time, it will depend on how thick you slice your veggies, but if you slice them thin enough it should take 30-35 minutes.
Joddie
0First time making Ratatouille, thought I would like it more than I did, the sauce was thin, wish I made it with a cream sauce. The eggplant went hard when I made leftovers.
A meal made for someone else; not my kind of food.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joddie, Sorry to hear this dish wasn’t what you were expecting. The sauce shouldn’t be too thin, did you by chance forget to drain the tomatoes? Traditional ratatouille is made with a tomato sauce, not a cream sauce, but of course you can experiment with whatever you like. I’ve never had eggplant turn hard after cooking unless it wasn’t cooked long enough to begin with, was it hard when the recipe was fresh? Always happy to help troubleshoot.
Cynthia
0Thank you for posting a specific measurement of 1 cup for the portion size in this recipe. I have noticed several of your recipes here and in the app say 1/6 or 1/8 of the recipe as the portion size. Whats the measurement in cups, ounces, or grams please? We really enjoy many of your recipes, but I do not make any of those that do not have a specific weight measurement or portion measurement not just 1/6 of the recipe or 1/8 of the recipe as a portion. Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cynthia, To get that information I recommend dividing the recipe into equal number of portions and then using a food scale to get the measurement.
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.
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 ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joey, You can, the only issue is the eggplant does start to brown.
Joey
0Thanks for your response! I am going to try to get it assembled today for baking for tomorrow 🙂 So excited to try it!
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. ?♀️
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!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, You can omit the squash and just use extra eggplant, onions, and/or tomatoes.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Gina, I have never done that but it sounds delicious!
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