One of my absolute favorite dishes to make in the summer is ratatouille. A legendary dish hailing from the Provence region of France, ratatouille is traditionally made by stewing together tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant, squash and herbs. (Psst—it’s pronounced rat-eh-too-ee. Don’t stress, it took me years and a Pixar movie to get it right.) Like any traditional recipe worth its salt, there’s plenty of debate about the ‘proper’ way to make it. And, like many French dishes, the right way to make it is the way your imaginary French grandmother did.
My take? If you’re in a hurry or want to use your ratatouille as a bed or topping for grilled protein, the stew route is the way to go. But if you have extra time, and are up for transforming a glut of vibrant summer vegetables into a truly show-stopping side (or main dish!), you can’t beat this recipe. Inspired by confit byaldi, which also made an appearance in a certain Pixar film, my version is baked, with a blanket of grated cheese that turns crusty and golden. Trust me: this one’s worth heating up the oven, no matter the time of year.
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Baked Ratatouille
Serving: The recipe below should fill one large round baking dish. I use a 10″ long oval baking dish; you can always divide up the veggies into two or more smaller dishes, if you like.
The recipe can serve 2-4 people as a main when served with a hearty base alongside it (brown rice! orzo! quinoa!), or could serve 6 if an accompaniment to protein and other veggies.
Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled, root end removed, and sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper flake
1 medium-large zucchini
1 medium-large yellow zucchini
1 orange heirloom tomato
4 medium vine tomatoes
1 small Japanese eggplant
1 tbsp tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Asiago or Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved or coarsely grated
4-5 basil leaves, chiffonade
How to make it
1. Preheat your oven to 400°.
2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and let cook for 1 minute, or until they just begin to soften. Add in half of the chopped garlic, the crushed red pepper flake, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the vegetables. Lower the heat further if you notice the onions are browning too quickly.
3. While the onions cook, slice the ends off the squash and eggplant, as well as the stems off of the tomatoes. Then, slice each vegetable so that it is about 1/4″ thick. You can make each more thick or less thick; most important is to make your cuts consistent, so the vegetables will roast evenly. If you make the cuts thinner, keep in mind they will cook faster; thicker, and they will take longer. (Though the flavor can develop more, as everything will end up stewing in its own juices in the oven!)
4. Once the vegetables are prepped, add in the tomato paste to the pan with the onions, and bring the heat back to medium. Stir to distribute and “melt,” until the paste has coated the onions and the mixture is fragrant. Transfer the onion mixture to the bottom of your baking dish, and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.
5. Next, begin arranging your sliced vegetables in the dish, alternating by color. Arrange in your preferred pattern; I like to stack them in an outer circle first, then fill the inside area with leftover pieces. Sprinkle the remainder of the chopped garlic over the top of the vegetables, then season the whole thing with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a bit more olive oil.
6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes to an hour, or until the mixture is very bubbly and the vegetables are tender. Remove the dish from the oven, and turn your broiler on to high. Layer shaved or coarsely shredded cheese on top of the cooked vegetables, then bake underneath the broiler until the cheese gets bubbly and brown.
7. Let the dish rest for a couple minutes, garnish with freshly chopped basil, and serve. This is delicious with grilled steaks, roasted chicken, or makes a superstar vegetarian main alongside pasta or couscous!
Notes
- About the vegetables: Be sure to purchase squash, eggplant and tomatoes that are roughly the same size in diameter. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but if you end up with a really skinny zucchini and a fat eggplant, you may have to do some trimming to get the dish to look as nice. When I made this dish, I used a regular bell shaped eggplant, and that made things more difficult, which is why I’m recommending the use of Japanese eggplant. They tend to be more cylindrical.
- About the cheese: I’ve recommended parmesan or Asiago for a sharp, piquant flavor. Grana Padano is a great substitute here, too. You can also try goat cheese (chevre) for a softer texture and tangier profile, if that’s your thing!
This looks seriously amazing. And if you ignore the cheese, not too unhealthy either! Great recipe for summer, thank you for sharing.
Without all that cheesy goodness, it’s just a blah zucchini. But with it. HEAVEN. Thank God, I’m not one of those who can’t digest milk proteins. Blessings on my northern European forebears!
Ahhh Victoria, this looks amazing and mouthwatering and yummy. Once again you’ve read my mind because ratatouille is one of my all time favorite dishes either as a meal or a side to a protein. Add some fresh baked bread to soak up the juices… perfection. Sometimes I also do a mix between a ratatouille and caponata with capers or olives, but never baked so I will definitely have to try this. Although it is wayy to hot for oven use here yet.
MMMM this looks absolutely delicious! I am going to make this next week for dinner! Healthy and easy what could be better :)
I’m totally making this for a Thanksgiving side. I don’t care if its not summer anymore :)
This was amazing! thank you for sharing your recipe!
I made this recipe yesterday, and it was delicious; however, if it became a bit “juicy” after cooking, did it go too far. The “juice” was delicious, but I wanted to ask if that is typical. I don’t see it on yours.
Hi Britain,
It really depends on the vegetables you used and how much moisture was in them. Some tomatoes or squash might have more liquid; others might be drier. One thing you can try is to let it sit for a bit before you serve it — maybe 10 minutes or so. Like a lasagna, this can help some of the juices settle and re-distribute/re-absorb! At the end of the day, if you have some juice, that’s what good crusty bread is for :)
Can’t wait to try this! I’m diabetic and looking for low carb recepies of foods I like. I think this will be one to keep. Thankx.
I watched the movie today and decided I would try to find a recipe online so I could try Ratatouille for myself and I found you awesome looking picture. I cooked it and just now had my first bite and it was so good. This is something I look forward to cooking for my kids every fall! What a tasty way to get kids to eat veggies. I only wish I had found your recipe sooner. Thanks so much~Beth
Made this tonight. Left off the cheese for dieting friends and used less oil but served with feta cheese and toasted bread. It was delicious! It was a bit juicy but I think if I left the foil of. For the last twenty mins of cooking it would evaporate a bit. I love the flavours the onions give in the bottom, and it looks so pretty! A nicer alternative to our usual slow cooker version.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Abi! Yes, baking without the cover would definitely encourage evaporation, however all those veggie juices would be delish over rice or pasta too! ;)
This is one of my favorite recipes. I’ve made it dozens of times. I leave off the cheese and add a tablespoon or two of Herbs de Provence. It is so delicious. Chopped up next day and tossed with pasta is wonderful too. I wanted to thank you for a great recipe that has made many happy meals.
Sharon, this comment made me so happy! I’m so glad that you love it so much. Keep enjoying it — especially as summer time approaches! :)
Let me start by saying I am NOT a cook! But I wanted to try to make a dish that would really be liked by the family, and that’s when I came across this recipe. I have made it several times now, and each time is better and better! I enjoy making it and it’s delicious! This is the only recipe I use now for baked ratatouille. Everyone loves it! Thanks for the easy recipe, and for making me enjoy cooking ; )
Hi Danielle! I am thrilled that this is a family favorite now! My husband loves it too when I make it each summer — I’m glad to be able to share with your family! Happy cooking.
I made this recipe tonight and it was simply amazing. I hosted a dinner party and one of my guests is a vegetarian… she absolutely adored this dish, as did the rest of us! The vegetables sang and the parmesan cheese gave it a beautiful depth. Kudos and thank you for making my dinner party a huge success!
Jess, I am SO happy to hear this! Your comment made my night the other night! I am so glad it was a hit at your dinner party. Enjoy the leftovers, if there are any! :)
This was one of the most straightforward ratatouille recipes I found! I followed your recipe (but swapped baby bella mushrooms for the eggplant) and it was so delicious! My family (and guest) loved it. We paired it with some garlic naan bread and it was fantastic. We are using the leftovers tonight as a cold bruschetta! Thanks for the recipe!
The sadly gone restaurant, Magic Pan, a crepe restaurant used to make a Ratatouille crepe that was outstanding. I’ve never had Ratatouille since because nothing could compare. I wonder if this could be stuffed in a crepe!
I think so! I think you could follow the recipe as is, then let it cool a bit, and scoop the veggies out and place them in the crepe. Should be really good!
I made this dish with a few changes that turned out very delicious and is now a family favorite. I mixed half a can of tomato paste with water and a few glugs of balsamic vinegar to make a cup. I then sauted a cup of cherry tomatoes and added the tomato paste mixture and the cherry tomatoes over the onions. I proceeded with layering the veggies and crumbled feta cheese on top with shredded basil. Covered it for thirty minutes, cooked further for ten minutes with the top off.
AMAZING!!! Made this for the first time ever last night, it will be a frequent side dish!
So glad you enjoyed it, Sheri!
Is there a way I could cook this at 350?
Hi Kathleen,
Yes, absolutely. You may find it takes longer to achieve the golden brown caramelized spots, and the dish will take longer to bake overall, but it’s still doable!
I’ve wanted to make this ever since I saw the movie… forgot about it till now !
I discovered this recipe about 6 weeks ago. I’ve made it four times now, given some away. I love it, everyone who eats it loves it. I really like that you can make it a day ahead. It is so impressive to make for guests or take to a covered dish dinner. This is a keeper. The second time I doubled the onion/tomato paste, because I liked the taste so much. I put it on the bottom and also on top of the veggies. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Wow, this was so delicious! I was able to make it with nearly all ingredients from my garden. A great way to use up some produce that had piled up! Couldn’t believe it was so delicious without any herbs added. A true testament to simplicity and good veggies! Thanks for the recipe, I’d definitely make this again.
This recipe was delicious! I put in some thyme with the onions & fresh marjoram with the basil on top, served over couscous as you suggested…. we loved it! So simple to make too!
I am looking forward to making this dish with all the fresh veggies at the Farmer’s Markets now.
Thank you for this recipe! I have always wanted to make it!
Hi Victoria,
This looks so yummy and I would love to try it but my son can’t have onions. I have substituted red bell peppers for onions in some recipes – do you think it would work in this one?
I think you can just leave the onions out!
This is so yummy. I make it all the time now. Thanks for sharing!
Have made this many times. It’s my favorite ratatouille recipe. Excellent