Craving the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean? Try this traditional French ratatouille recipe, a one-pot vegetable stew from Provence. Originally from Nice, a city in the south of France, this iconic dish features summer vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and tomatoes, gently simmered with garlic, olive oil, and fragrant herbs.
Derived from the Occitan word “ratatolha,” ratatouille, also known as “ratatouia nissarda”, embodies Mediterranean cuisine: healthy, colorful, and full of flavor. Easy to prepare, it’s perfect in summer as a vegetarian main dish or as a side for meats, fish, mixed grill, or rice.
It is known by other names in various cultures, such as Spanish pisto, Sicilian caponata, or Greek briam.
It can be enjoyed hot, warm, or cold, on its own, as antipasti, or simply on a slice of baguette. Cooked in large batches, it’s perfect for everyday meals or special occasions, all year round. Thanks to its gentle simmer and fragrant Provençal herbs, this ratatouille brings out the full Mediterranean flavor and delights both kids and adults. It’s a summer staple dish, just like Moroccan eggplant caviar.
Table of Contents
Ingredients:
NB: You can print out the recipe card below.
- 2 eggplants (1/2 kg)
- 4 zucchinis (about 400 g)
- 2 bell peppers ( about 350 g ) of different colors if possible.
- 5 to 6 tomatoes (750 g)
- 2 onions (about 350 g)
- 4 garlic cloves
- Herbes de Provence (thyme, bay leaf, oregano, basil)
- Olive oil – Use enough to sauté each vegetable, about 2 tablespoons per type. You may need a bit more for the eggplants, as they absorb oil like a sponge.
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Espelette pepper powder or fresh optional if you like it spicy, add a good pinch or chopped pepper.
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional to add creaminess and color).
- 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional, to balance acidity and bitterness if needed)
Preparation steps
Vegetable preparation :
Peel the onions and garlic, then wash and dry them. Halve the garlic to remove the germ, then chop finely. Slice or chop the onion according to desired texture.
Wash and dry the eggplants, zucchinis and peppers.
Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove stalk, white membranes and seeds.
Cut all vegetables (eggplants, zucchinis, peppers) into 2 cm cubes for even cooking.
Tomatoes can be peeled with a knife, or immersed in boiling water for 30 seconds to facilitate peeling. Then cut them into pieces, larger or smaller depending on whether you want them to remain visible after cooking.
Sauté the vegetables
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
Add the minced onions and garlic, and sauté until translucent and just beginning to brown.
Add the tomatoes and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to soften them slightly without turning mushy.
Transfer everything to a large pot or casserole that can hold all the vegetables.
Season each vegetable separately with salt and pepper to enhance their flavors.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, then sauté the peppers for about 2 minutes, until they start to change color. Transfer them to the pot and stir.
Repeat with the zucchinis, then the eggplants. Sauté briefly until slightly tender, then add them to the rest of the vegetables.
Add the thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and the teaspoon of sugar, then reduce the heat to low. Gently stir to evenly distribute the vegetables and herbs without crushing them.
Halfway through cooking, stir in a generous tablespoon of tomato paste to enhance the color and flavor.
Let it to simmer:
Cover the pot and let the ratatouille simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the vegetables are tender and well cooked. The cooking time will depend on the texture you prefer, whether you want the vegetables meltingly soft and full of flavor, or still slightly firm.
Make sure the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom. Lower the heat further if you notice the sauce reducing too quickly. If it dries out before the vegetables are fully cooked, add the purée of one tomato.
Towards the end of cooking, if there’s too much liquid, partially uncover the pot, increase the heat slightly, and let it reduce until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Taste for texture and flavor, and adjust as needed. Add more herbs, salt, or pepper if necessary.
Serve hot, warm, or cold, on its own or as a side dish.
Tips for making perfect ratatouille
1. Choose fresh vegetables.
Choose fresh, firm vegetables, preferably local. In winter, you can use frozen vegetables.
Eggplants and zucchinis (small ones or large dark green ones) are cooked without peeling to preserve their beautiful color.
Use peeled or unpeeled tomatoes according to your taste; you can cut them into cubes or puree them to vary the texture.
Chop or slice the onions depending on the texture you prefer.
As for garlic, some recipes skip it, but I always add it because it brings a lot of flavor.
For seasoning, favor fresh thyme, bay leaves, and why not a bit of oregano or basil. Tomato paste and a teaspoon of sugar are optional: the paste enhances the color, while the sugar softens the acidity.
2. Cut the vegetables evenly
For even cooking, cut all the vegetables into similarly sized pieces. Cubes about 2 cm (around ¾ inch) strike a good balance between firmness and tenderness.
3. Sauté the vegetables separately
It’s best to sauté each vegetable individually in a little hot olive oil without fully cooking them. This step intensifies their flavors before simmering them together.
4. Slow simmer on low heat
Let the ratatouille simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring regularly so the flavors meld without the vegetables drying out.
5. Season with care
Use Herbes de Provence, mainly fresh thyme and bay leaves, and optionally add oregano or basil. You can also stir in a spoonful of tomato paste to enhance the color, as well as a pinch of sugar to balance acidity or bitterness.
6. Let it rest
After cooking, let the ratatouille rest for a few minutes. It improves with time and tastes even better the next day, perfect for preparing in advance.
Storing ratatouille
Like Moroccan zaalouk or taktouka, ratatouille stores very well, handy to have on hand for a quick side dish or a simple vegetarian meal.
In the fridge
Let the ratatouille cool completely, then divide it into portions. Store in airtight glass containers with just enough for one meal per box. Keep in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
In the freezer
It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, transfer it into ziplock bags. Flatten into a thin layer without crushing the vegetables, this saves space and helps it freeze faster.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge first, then warm it in the microwave or gently on the stove in a pan or saucepan.
French Ratatouille ( One-Pot Vegetable Stew)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggplants 1/2 kg
- 4 zucchinis about 400 g
- 2 bell peppers about 350 g of different colors if possible.
- 5 to 6 tomatoes 750 g
- 2 onions about 350 g
- 4 garlic cloves
- Herbes de Provence thyme, bay leaf, oregano, basil
- Olive oil - Use enough to sauté each vegetable about 2 tablespoons per type. You may need a bit more for the eggplants, as they absorb oil like a sponge.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Espelette pepper powder or fresh optional if you like it spicy add a good pinch or chopped pepper.
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional to add creaminess and color.
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional, to balance acidity and bitterness if needed
PREPARATION
Vegetable preparation :
- Peel the onions and garlic, then wash and dry them. Halve the garlic to remove the germ, then chop finely. Slice or chop the onion according to desired texture.
- Wash and dry the eggplants, zucchinis and peppers.
- Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove stalk, white membranes and seeds.
- Cut all vegetables (eggplants, zucchinis, peppers) into 2 cm cubes for even cooking.
- Tomatoes can be peeled with a knife, or immersed in boiling water for 30 seconds to facilitate peeling. Then cut them into pieces, larger or smaller depending on whether you want them to remain visible after cooking.
Sauté the vegetables :
- In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the minced onions and garlic, and sauté until translucent and just beginning to brown.
- Add the tomatoes and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to soften them slightly without turning mushy.
- Transfer everything to a large pot or casserole that can hold all the vegetables.
- Season each vegetable separately with salt and pepper to enhance their flavors.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, then sauté the peppers for about 2 minutes, until they start to change color. Transfer them to the pot and stir.
- Repeat with the zucchinis, then the eggplants. Sauté briefly until slightly tender, then add them to the rest of the vegetables.
- Add the thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and the teaspoon of sugar, then reduce the heat to low. Gently stir to evenly distribute the vegetables and herbs without crushing them.
- Halfway through cooking, stir in a generous tablespoon of tomato paste to enhance the color and flavor.
Let it to simmer :
- Cover the pot and let the ratatouille simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the vegetables are tender and well cooked. The cooking time will depend on the texture you prefer, whether you want the vegetables meltingly soft and full of flavor, or still slightly firm.
- Make sure the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom. Lower the heat further if you notice the sauce reducing too quickly. If it dries out before the vegetables are fully cooked, add the purée of one tomato.
- Towards the end of cooking, if there's too much liquid, partially uncover the pot, increase the heat slightly, and let it reduce until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Taste for texture and flavor, and adjust as needed. Add more herbs, salt, or pepper if necessary.
- Serve hot, warm, or cold, on its own or as a side dish.