This Ratatouille recipe comes together quickly for a fresh weeknight dinner. It’s a light & fresh dish that’s gluten free, vegan, and paleo. Plus, it freezes well – so go ahead and make a double batch!
Granted, this might be the yuppiest thought to have ever been uttered, tied only with “OMG! They’re out of pumpkin spice lattes!” and “Ugh my premium high speed internet is totally only running at the speed of standard” but can I just ask what the heck we did before CSAs?
All over the country, small farmers are pulling insanely fresh, plump vegetables out of the ground and off of vines or trees or… well, this is why I leave the farming to the farmers.
Anyway, I only mention it because a CSA means you not only get to support these fabulous farmers, but receive, in return, a weekly box full of said freshly picked veggies (and, in some CSAs, fruits too).
Every week, I open my box with big eyes and a hopeful stomach, hoping for another round of the crisp zucchini and tender cucumbers that were in last week’s box.
It seems like my CSA‘s cucumber stock has been exhausted (damn. But don’t think I am not still making fridge pickles.), but they’ve wisely softened the blow by replacing them with plump tomatoes and long, smooth Japanese eggplants. Those, combined with the extra onions that went unused from this recipe, just screamed MAKE ME INTO RATATOUILLE!
What the heck is ratatouille?
It’s not not the fancy, complicated dish that the name sounds like. Oh, and it’s not a cartoon mouse either. (As someone who, as a rule, detests cartoons, the degree to which I adore that cartoon mouse is somewhat alarming. But that’s for another post. But seriously, how could you not love that face?). The heart of the dish is stewed summer vegetables, with very little else, so the flavors of the peak-season vegetables shine through.
I’ve seen this dish in several forms
from the probably-original rustic peasant stew in which the veggies are roughly chopped and simmered or baked in a thick tomato-based sauce, to an overly fancy and (if you ask me) time consuming swirl, culminating in a flourish of some kind of flower pattern in the center.
Who has time for that??
Not me. The easiest way to do it, in my opinion, is to quickly stir the sauce together and pour it into the bottom of the pan (you could even mix it in the pan if you wanted to) before layering the veggies on top.
I like to slice the veggies up separately and then create an assembly line so you can grab them in order, shove them into the pan and then grab another set. That’s the easiest way to get this dish to look like you spent all day on it, but we’re really only talking about an extra 2-3 minutes of effort.
Don’t worry about perfection here. If you look closely at my version, you’ll notice that the pattern is spotty at best, betraying my limited attention span while I was putting this together (no matter how many times you watch Gilmore Girls through, it is always SO good, amiright?). But look, if you came to this site for perfection, you might be sorely disappointed. We do our best, but I’d rather have stellar flavor and an imperfect veggie pattern any day.
And, boy, does the flavor deliver on this. Great quality fresh vegetables have a beautiful flavor on their own, and I also used super high quality crushed tomatoes (in this case, they were also from my CSA, but you can get good quality canned tomatoes at the store. Try San Marzanos, if you can find them. It’s worth the investment).
So, the dish didn’t need much help, but I added a couple of flavor enhancements – fresh garlic and basil, and a spice mix called Herbs de Provence – just to take it over the top. Please don’t hate me for requiring you to buy a new spice for this dish. It is 100% worth it, and you can sprinkle it on chicken and potatoes for a quick, one pan weeknight dinner (or use it for these recipes). If you really don’t want to purchase Herbs de Provence, you an replace with 1/4 teaspoon each of dried or fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme.
But wait, we haven’t finished discussing THIS quick one-pan weeknight dinner. It’s super healthy, quick and filling, and all you need to make it a meal is your favorite protein. I picked up a rotisserie chicken to accompany this, and then subsequently ate the leftovers cold with a runny egg on top for breakfast.
After a day or two in the fridge, the flavors mature and meld and I’m not committing to anything here, but there is a chance the leftovers might be better than the freshly made dish. So, all I’m saying is you should probably double the recipe…just to be safe.
Before you start cooking, here are a few more tips to make sure you get the most out of this recipe!
Believe it or not, this Ratatouille recipe is the most popular recipe on this site! Why? Well, it has it all! It’s easy, healthy, and free of just about every allergen (except nightshades…sorry. Can’t win ’em all!). You can make it again and again, and so many readers have. Here are some of the tips and answers to questions that readers have found most helpful:
- The vegetables, including the crushed tomatoes, take center stage in this dish and there is relatively little in the ingredient list to season them, so flavor is very important. Try to get the absolute best quality vegetables you can. It really is worth the splurge, and will take this dish from good to great.
- Some people have cautioned that Herbs de Provence contains a little bit of Lavender, so if you are especially sensitive to that flavor, replace the herbs de Provence with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon each: dried or fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme.
- Here are a few other recipes to help use up those Herbs de Provence.
- This may seem like a lot but is really enough for 2-3 people. If you’re feeding a family or a crowd, double the recipe and bake it in a 9″x12″ pan.
- Optionally, you can finish the dish by drizzling it with a little bit of good quality olive oil.
- To make it heartier, you can add vegan or dairy cheese on top, and/or serve over quinoa, mashed sweet or white potatoes, rice, or your grain of choice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Or, if you’d like to make this ahead for a future dinner, cool it completely and transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months. To prepare, bring to room temperature (just leave it in the fridge for a day or two) and then microwave until heated through.
This Ratatouille recipe comes together quickly for a fresh weeknight dinner. Plus, it's suitable for gluten free, paleo and vegan diets!
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil about 3-4 large leaves, sliced , plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence spice mix
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 medium sweet or red onion sliced
- 1 large zucchini about 1 1/2 cups slices, sliced
- 1 large Japanese eggplant about 3 cups slices, sliced
- 3 large roma tomatoes about 3 cups slices, sliced
-
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 6"x9" baking dish and set aside.
-
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, oil and vinegar. Stir in the garlic, basil, herbs de Provence, salt, pepper, and chili powder.
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Pour the tomato mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
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Stack the veggie slices in alternating patters (e.g.: onion, zucchini, eggplant, tomato; repeat) and place them on their side in the pan, leaning against the edge of the pan. Repeat until you've formed a couple of rows of veggies, filled the pan, and used up all of the veggie slices.
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Optionally, spray or brush the exposed tops of the veggies with oil to encourage browning in the oven. This is more for appearance, so feel free to skip this step if you want.
-
Bake for about an hour, until the tomato sauce at the bottom is bubbling and the veggies are tender.
-
Garnish with additional chopped fresh basil before serving (optional). Serve hot or cold.
- The vegetables, including the crushed tomatoes, take center stage in this dish and there is relatively little in the ingredient list to season them, so flavor is very important. Try to get the absolute best quality vegetables you can. It really is worth the splurge, and will take this dish from good to great.
- Some people have cautioned that Herbs de Provence contains a little bit of Lavender, so if you are especially sensitive to that flavor, replace the herbs de Provence with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon each: dried or fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme.
- Here are a few other recipes to help use up those Herbs de Provence.
- This may seem like a lot but is really enough for 2-3 people. If you're feeding a family or a crowd, double the recipe and bake it in a 9"x12" pan.
- Optionally, you can finish the dish by drizzling it with a little bit of good quality olive oil.
- To make it heartier, you can add vegan or dairy cheese on top, and/or serve over quinoa, mashed sweet or white potatoes, rice, or your grain of choice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Or, if you'd like to make this ahead for a future dinner, cool it completely and transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months. To prepare, bring to room temperature (just leave it in the fridge for a day or two) and then microwave until heated through.
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No doubt, a CSA can change the way you cook and eat! Each Tuesday I am delighted with the abundance and variety of fresh veggies our farmers grow. And it is so affordable, more-so than many people expect. WOW, wow, wow!!! Nora, this is gorgeous and packed full of so much flavor… I have to make this. Way to go enjoying so much of your CSA produce in one dish! I”m so inspired! Thank you, my dear! 😀
You’re so right! I echo all of your great points about the value of a CSA!
So glad you like this! I hope you get to make it! 🙂
Can the ratatouille be frozen, either before/after , cooking without destroying flavor and consistency?
Hi Roberta, sorry for taking so long to get back to you about this! I would recommend cooking the ratatouille in a freezer-safe dish, cooling completely, then covering tightly with several layers of plastic wrap (to prevent freezer burn) and freezing. Freezing should not affect the flavor but you may find that the veggies are a little wilted after defrosting. I’m sure it will still be an enjoyable meal though!
This is the most gorgeous ratatouille I’ve ever seen! I’m hoping to join a CSA next year for the first time and I cannot wait.
Thanks, Becky! I hope you love your CSA. It has really been worth it to join! Ours is year round; I wonder if there is one near you that is as well, so that you don’t have to wait until next year!
Oh this dish is beautiful, Nora! I wouldn’t have even suspected that the pattern was not perfect if you hadn’t mentioned it!
Thanks, Monica! I’m glad it wasn’t too noticeable 😉
That looks INCREDIBLE!
Thanks, Sandra!
So pretty! Love love love the pics. (hope you submit this one to finding vegan!)
haha nevermind .. I see you already did 😉 xoxo
Thanks, Kathy! You bet I did! 🙂
This looks so great!
I’m not a fan of zucchini so I sub in sweet potato and it works great with my usual recipe (Moosewood). But next time I’ll present it like this. Mmmm!
That sounds like a great idea, Shar! Especially in winter because here (in Chicago) where zucchini is, frankly, terrible in the winter.
your ratatouille looks scrumptious. I have made this before and will make your recipe today. I also get a CSA and love it. I was wondering though you mentioned using the herbs to Provence on chicken? Do you not follow a whole foods plant-based diet? And your recipes are on finding vegan?
Hi Gail! I hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂 As to your question about whether I eat a vegan diet, unfortunately the answer is no. I was a vegetarian for about 20 years and stayed vegan on and off for several years as well, but due to some serious health problems (which you can read more about on my About Me page), I have been unable to eat many plant based protein sources and have incorporated meat back into my diet. I still cook a ton of plant based dishes and over half of the recipes on this site are vegan or vegan-adaptable. If you’re curious, you can see all of my vegan/adaptable recipes here. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about adapting any of the recipes!
Beautiful. Inspired. Made. Disappointed. The addition of tofu ricotta, kalamata olives and capers could enhance this recipe.
I’m not sure what you were expecting, but this is a very basic recipe that relies on the pure flavors of produce at its peak of ripeness and seasonality. That said, it’s extremely adaptable, so I encourage you to add whatever ingredients you see fit.
Made tonight smells great >< fidgets in seat
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Try the juice of a lemon squeezed over this before it goes in the oven. I’ve made it that way for years.
That’s a great idea! Thanks for the tip.
Sorry if this sounds a stupid question but what do you mean by crushed tomatoes? Whole tomatoes chopped and then crushed or the squidgy tomatoes that come in tins. I’m itching to try this but don’t want to get it majorly wrong. Not sure if I’m misinterpreting it here in the UK.
Hi Ginette! That’s not a stupid question at all. Here in the states, you can buy canned (tinned) tomatoes either whole, chopped or “crushed” which basically means pureed. If you can’t find them, you can buy the chopped kind and then just puree them yourself in your blender. I hope you enjoy this dish!
Oh that’s brilliant, thanks so much X
My pleasure!
So I went grocery shopping today, and forgot the roma tomatoes for this! I’m planning to make tomorrow, do you think it would throw off the dish to omit them? I have a green pepper if by chance you think that would be a decent replacement (I’ve never had ratatouille so I’m a little clueless.) if you think the tomato necessary I can stop by the store tomorrow
No worries, Jamie! The great thing about this dish is how versatile it is. You can absolutely swap in green pepper for the roma tomatoes (I’ve never tried it, but I’ve used red pepper in addition to the roma tomatoes and it’s worked well). I wouldn’t bother with a special trip to the store *just* for the tomatoes. However, the crushed tomatoes that create the sauce at the bottom of the dish are pretty crucial so make sure you have those!
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but my dish came out way overcooked. Do you have a suggestion on shortening the cooking time, or perhaps I didn’t cut the vegetables to the proper size? Should I be checking the dish after a certain amount of time has passed? I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to cooking, so any tips are welcome. Side note, it was absolutely delicious, just overcooked 🙁
I’m sorry to hear that, Jenn! A lot of things could have caused this, but my guess is either that your oven ran hot or the veggies were not packed together as tightly as mine were (less packed = more air circulation = faster cooking). Try cooking the dish for 30-45 minutes instead, and keep and eye on it. It is done when the tomato sauce is bubbly and the veggies are slightly shriveled on the edges.
Oh, and one more tip: most ovens have hot and cold spots, so the best way to cook this is by positioning a rack in the center of the oven before preheating, then baking the ratatouille in the center of that center rack.
Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please let me know!
How thick should you slice the veggies?
Hi Colleen,
Somewhere in the 1/4-1/2″ range should be fine. I think mine were closer to 1/2″.
It looks great ! this is nooo ratatouille, like you wrote, ratatouille is more like a stew, AND if you want to do it the right way, each type of vegetable has to cook in a different pan ! No one has time for that.
But this is a tian ! Which is a fantastic dish too. (I even think it tastes better than ratatouille but hush hush)
I hear you, but most American’s think of ratatouille as a casserole like this, rather than the traditional stew (especially after the movie: http://4.darkroom.shortlist.com/980/e2b84535bf1a8593243f5d9d0c47502f:fbafe7043e16a79a59200dbbdbf6f208/ratatouille-6.jpg). I had no idea that each veggie had to cook separately in the traditional recipe though. Even more reason to throw it all in one pan!
Just made this dish today! It smells delicious! Anxiously awaiting to eat it!!! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoyed it!!
Hi! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried prepping this dish and then freezing it for another night? With baby #2 on the way, I’ve been prepping double batches of everything and freezing one. I was wondering how this would hold up and if I’d have to increase the cook time? This looks so delicious!
Hi Bonnie! You might be asking the wrong person because in my world, everything freezes 🙂 But seriously, I do think that this would probably freeze quite well after it is cooked. In case you need some more ideas, here is a whole article about prepping and freezing healthy meals for later: https://acleanbake.com/paleo-freezer-dinners/ I hope that helps! Congratulations on baby #2!
Hey. This looks awesome. Sometimes whole foods carries the Japanese eggplant and other times not. If I can’t find it, would subbing a regular small eggplant work? Or does that change it too much? thanks!
Hi Amanda! Yes, subbing a regular eggplant would be fine, but if it is much larger (wider, I mean) than the other veggies, you might want to cut the slices in half so that everything cooks evenly. I hope that helps!
Would love to make this for my husband, who is a heart attack survivor and on a low sodium diet. Any idea on the nutritional information?
Hi Vicki,
Unfortunately, I don’t have the nutritional info but I can tell you that this recipe is naturally very low in sodium since it’s just vegetables and seasonings. Herbs de Provence should not have any added salt, nor should the canned tomatoes (but just to be safe, best to read the ingredients labels!). I suggest adding 1/4 tsp salt, but you can either omit that or replace it with a low-sodium salt substitute like Nu Salt or whatever your husband’s doctor has given permission to use. If you’d like the exact nutritional information, you can plug in all of the ingredients to a tool like the nutrition calculator on My Fitness Pal and then divide by the number of portions you’ll make from it – probably 2-3 decent-sized servings or 3-4 side dish-size servings. I hope that helps!
Made this yummy dish for the first time according to your instructions and it turned out wonderfully. Thanks!
I’m so glad! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
I made this with everything from my garden! I added fresh jalapeños to the sauce and potatoes into the vegetable line up. I also topped it with red pepper flakes and a little mozzarella. It was phenomenal! Thank you so much!!!
What a wonderful garden you must have! I love the sound of the changes you made – I just might have to try them for myself! Thanks for letting me know. I always LOVE to hear about how these recipes turn out in others’ kitchens!
I made this for lunch today and it sure did turn out beautifully – although in the end, we were still eating a giant plate of vegetables (well, fruits, if you want to get picky!). We added quite a bit more salt and topped it full of parmesan, which definitely helped. I was also hungry again in an hour or two, so it may fare better as a side dish for us. If I ever need to impress foodie friends, I may make this again as it really did look quite impressive and didn’t break the bank. Thanks for sharing!
It sounds like you had a lovely lunch, Meaghan! I agree, it is just a giant pile of veggies, but isn’t it a satisfying one 😉 I often serve it as a side at my house, alongside some protein to keep me full a bit longer. Nothing wrong with that! Other readers have topped it with a generous helping of mozzarella or another mild cheese (or your parm works!) to give it a little more staying power 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Any idea of what calories/serving are?
I’m so sorry but I don’t, mostly because the serving size can vary depending on whether you serve it as an entree or side! Feel free to plug all the ingredients into a reliable calorie counter (I recommend Myfitnesspal.com) to get more info!
This is SO yum! I added beets, steamed and sliced, and also also Italian sausage. It has the flavor of pizza which was such a hit for us while we’re on the Whole30.
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it, MariAnne! And making it into a crustless pizza casserole?? Brilliant!!
Made this last night with my boyfriend who is not a big veggie fan…but he loved it! We decided to crumble fetta cheese over the top of the veggies for the last 30 minutes in the oven and that made it amazing!
In my opinion it ended up a bit watery and wouldn’t have been a very remarkable dish without the cheese. However, the taste of the fetta with all of the veggies and herbs made it so yummy! We only have a 9 x 13″ baking dish so we doubled the recipe and ate almost the entire thing in one night! There are barely any leftovers and I can’t even count how many servings of veggies we got :p That makes me one happy dietitian!
Woohoo! I am thrilled that you were able to sneak so many servings of veggies in to one meal! Always a win 🙂
C’est un Tian! 🙂 Nice blog!
Je sais! Mais, en Amerique, personne ne fait la distinction entre les deux 🙂 Alors, nous l’appellons ratatouille! 🙂
Aussi, merci pour la visite!
Would of been nice to know roughly how long to cook it, that seems to have been left out of the instructions.
Step #6 instructs you to bake for about an hour, until the tomato sauce at the bottom is bubbling and the veggies are tender.
I have made this once before and I am getting ready to prep it again for dinner tonight! I was amazed at how flavorful this dish was. I top it with a bit of smoked mozzarella and serve it on a bed of quinoa. FANTASTIC!
Smoked mozzarella on top sounds incredible! Thanks for the idea and I’m so glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I made it tonight. First time I’ve even touched an eggplant… They’re so weird and rubbery! I sliced everything super thin and added some grated mozzarella on top and it DELICIOUS! my husband said the recipe is a keeper. The only thing I’d do differently next time is double the sauce it was so good to drag my chicken breast through!
I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
Thanks for letting me know! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it!
Just a side note about Herbs de Provence. The first time I bought some, I didn’t realize that many commercial brands contain lavender. Lavender in my bath water and body lotion: yum. On my plate: not so much. That was $6.95 wasted for me. Other folks may love the lavender taste and smell in their food, just not to my personal liking.
I loved everything about this dish, it went so fast it was fantastic
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for letting me know, Amber 🙂
Do you have the nutrition information? Did I miss it? Oops looking forward to trying it. Looks yummy
Any any chance, do you have the nutrition information. I’m working on a low carb and low calorie plan because I’m diabetic. I’m sure I can have it, just trying to record those kind of things. Looks yummy
Hi Michelle! I just added it below the recipe.
Hi Nora,
I made this ratatouille today and didn’t expect that it tastes that good. Thanks a lot for that wonderful, easy and low calorie receipe. I had it in the oven for 50 minutes and in the last 10 minutes I spread small cubes of mozarella on it. We had ciabatta with it. So delicious.
It looked beautiful coming out of the oven and tasted even better. Too bad it is so healthy.
That’s great to hear! Why too bad?
FYI there is no lavender in herbes de Provence mix when you buy a container of these herbs in France (I just double-checked since I have one handy by Ducros).
Also feel free to sprinkle with Swiss cheese before baking (my mom’s secret ingredient).
Never made it that way but looks more appealing and delish! Definitely on my dinner list 🙂
Bon appétit!
Thanks, Sophie! That’s great to know, and I think that means I am required to take another trip to France. For research purposes, that is. 😉
I’ve had many readers say that they have topped this dish with mozzarella but Swiss also sounds like a wonderful addition! Bon appétit a vous!
we made this tonight it was wonderful but we also addes yellow squash and green yellow and orange bell pepper it was so yummy
That sounds delicious! Thanks for letting me know!
Does the eggplant need to be salted first?
No, but you can if you want. Without salting it, you’ll have a slightly runnier sauce. Either way is good.
I made this once. Devil of a time doing it. I have a great mandoline slicer and whipped out all the slices, but like all zucchini, onions, tomato, etc., the slices were different diameters. Made it hard to put it all together. What a mess! But delicious.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Next time, feel free to cube the veggies and mix them together, rather than the (admittedly tedious) slicing and stacking. 🙂
hi its look awesome thanks for sharing this.