Ratatouille Recipe

If you think vegetables can’t be elegant, Ratatouille is here to change your mind. This classic Provençal dish from the south of France turns humble summer produce into something truly beautiful and satisfying—slow-cooked tomato-pepper base topped with concentric circles of thin-sliced eggplant, zucchini, and tomato. It’s rustic, yet refined. Simple, yet stunning.

Originally a peasant dish meant to use up garden leftovers, Ratatouille has been elevated into the kind of meal you serve with crusty bread, a glass of wine, and some serious pride. It’s vegan, gluten-free, naturally low-cal, and 100% flavor.

Serve it as a side, the star of the show, or on toast the next morning with a fried egg. However you plate it, Ratatouille is one of those dishes that makes you feel like you're doing something very right with your life.

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Ingredients (serves 4–6):

For the sauce base:

• Olive oil – 2 tbsp

• Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped

• Garlic – 4 cloves, minced

• Red bell pepper – 1, finely chopped

• Crushed tomatoes – 400g (1 can or 1 1/2 cups)

• Tomato paste – 1 tbsp

• Dried thyme – 1 tsp

• Dried basil – 1 tsp

• Salt – 1/2 tsp

• Black pepper – to taste

For the vegetable topping:

• Zucchini – 1 medium, thinly sliced into rounds

• Yellow squash – 1 medium, thinly sliced

• Eggplant – 1 small, thinly sliced

• Roma tomatoes – 2–3, thinly sliced

• Olive oil – 2 tbsp (for drizzling)

• Fresh thyme – for garnish

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Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Make the tomato base (10–15 minutes):
In a skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until soft. Add bell pepper, cook for 3 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Spread evenly in the base of a round or oval baking dish.

2. Slice the vegetables (10 minutes):
Slice eggplant, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes into uniform thin rounds. The more evenly sized they are, the prettier your ratatouille will look.

3. Arrange the topping (10 minutes):
Alternate the sliced vegetables in a circular pattern over the sauce base, slightly overlapping them. Continue spiraling inward until the dish is filled. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.

4. Bake (40–45 minutes):
Cover with foil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes until veggies are tender and the tops begin to brown.

5. Serve:
Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, room temp, or chilled—with crusty bread or couscous.

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Pro Tip:

Use a mandoline to slice your veggies ultra-thin and uniform—it makes arranging them way easier and cooks them more evenly. And don’t skip the tomato base—it adds richness and depth you won’t get from just roasting the veggies alone.

Want a flavor boost? Add a splash of balsamic vinegar or anchovy paste to the tomato sauce before baking.