This simple recipe for a delicious baked ratatouille will make you a fan of this gorgeous vegan French dish, if you aren’t already one. Just add chopped summer squash, bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplant to a baking dish with a few herbs and a drizzle of olive oil, et voila!
Summer’s dissolved into fall, but it’s never too late to enjoy a great ratatouille! This colorful dish is perfect as a main dish or as a side dish with nearly any entree. Just like other stews from France, like vegan cassoulet and vegan bourguignon, this baked version of ratatouille is so easy to make.
What is a ratatouille
No, it’s not just the name of a fine movie about a rat named Remy who happens to be a great chef. A ratatouille is a classic French recipe of stewed vegetables — eggplant, bell peppers, summer squash like zucchini, and tomatoes — seasoned with Provençal herbs, or herbes de Provence.
Despite the fact that this is a recipe perfected by French cooks, a fact that would rattle most people, a ratatouille is anything but formidable to make. Au contraire, it is so simple that, to quote Gusteau, “anyone can cook” it.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy but delicious: the best ratatouille recipe ever. This baked ratatouille recipe is so, so tasty and it needs just a handful of ingredients, including the veggies, a few savory herbs, and extra virgin olive oil. The herbs create a wonderful, savory sauce with the garlic and the tomatoes. And all you need to do is chop the veggies and toss them with the seasonings in a baking dish, bung it all into the oven, and soon you’ll be dining like a French chef.
- Healthy recipe. The colorful vegetables in ratatouille will truly make you feel like you are eating the rainbow.
- Soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan. I can’t think of many popular French recipes that are vegan-friendly, but how can you remain mad at them when they gave us the very vegan ratatouille?
Ingredients
- Vegetables: Eggplant (aubergine/brinjal), bell peppers (red or yellow), summer squash (like yellow squash or zucchini) and tomatoes. Use this exact combination of veggies, because there’s something magical about their flavors working together.
- Herbs: Garlic, rosemary, oregano and thyme. You can also use dried herbs instead of fresh. See recipe box for exact quantities. If you have a jar of herbes de Provence, which contains some additional herbs like summer savory, you can use that instead. You can also use fresh parsley, fresh oregano or fresh basil for garnish.
- Extra virgin olive oil. Use a good glug of olive oil for the best flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Ratatouille has a delicious medley of flavors from the vegetables: sweet from the bell peppers, tangy from the tomatoes and nutty from the eggplant. The vegetables absorb the savory aroma of the herbs as they bake, adding more complexity and richness.
Eggplant adds the creaminess so essential to a perfect ratatouille. I know there are eggplant haters out there but if you taste eggplant in ratatouille, I wager you will no longer be one. If you absolutely won’t use it, just leave it out and add more peppers.
If you use other veggies, you will likely get a dish of very flavorful roasted veggies, but it won’t be a ratatouille.
Yes! Use a tablespoon and add more if needed.
Serving suggestions
Ratatouille can be served both as a main dish or as a side dish. Pair it with:
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store the ratatouille in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container up to three months.
- Thaw and reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave or in a 350-degree Fahrenheit/180-degree Celsius oven until warmed through.
More delicious vegan stews
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Ratatouille Recipe
Simple recipe for a delicious baked French ratatouille. Add chopped summer squash, bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplant to a baking dish with a few herbs and a drizzle of olive oil, et voila!
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 152kcal
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Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375-degree Fahrenheit/190-degree Celsius.
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Place all the chopped veggies — eggplant, bell peppers, summer squash, tomatoes and optional onions — in baking dish.
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Scatter the garlic, herbs, salt and ground black pepper over the vegetables and drizzle the olive oil.
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Use a spoon or your hands to toss the vegetables with the herbs and olive oil.
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Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.
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Sprinkle fresh herbs, for garnish, if desired. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Recipe notes
- Refrigerate: Store the ratatouille in the fridge for up to four days.
- Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container up to three months.
- Thaw and reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave or in a 350-degree Fahrenheit/180-degree Celsius oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Potassium: 689mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 733IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
