Best Ratatouille Recipe Recipe
Learn how to make traditional Ratatouille the way they do in Provence with clean flavors and succulent summer vegetables.
How to Make the Best Best Ratatouille Recipe
Ratatouille is the quintessential Provençal dish that celebrates the bounty of summer vegetables. This traditional ratatouille recipe follows the authentic French method of cooking each vegetable separately before combining them in a fragrant tomato sauce—a technique that ensures every component retains its distinct flavor and texture while contributing to a harmonious whole.
The secret to exceptional ratatouille lies in two key steps: salting your eggplant beforehand to draw out moisture and any bitterness, and resisting the urge to overcook the vegetables. Each vegetable should be sautéed just until lightly browned but still have some bite, as they’ll continue to soften in the sauce. The result is a dish with clean, vibrant flavors rather than a mushy stew.
Serve this versatile dish as a main course with crusty bread, as a side to grilled meats or fish, or even tossed with pasta. Like many Mediterranean dishes, ratatouille often tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together, making it perfect for meal prep or casual entertaining.
Best Ratatouille Recipe
Learn how to make traditional Ratatouille the way they do in Provence with clean flavors and succulent summer vegetables.
Ingredients
Vegetables
Seasonings
Instructions
Preparation
- Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let it sit for 20 minutes or more, while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Grate all but 2 tomatoes—cutting the remaining into chunks. Chop up the skins left from grating or discard. Grating fresh tomatoes makes the best crushed tomato flavor and texture, allowing the sauce to cook quickly.
Cooking the Vegetables
- In a heavy stock pot or braiser, sauté onion in olive oil over medium-high heat and stir for 3-5 minutes. Remove onions from pan and set aside. We are going for al dente as the veggies will continue to soften in the sauce.
- Sauté zucchini and peppers with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for 1-2 minutes over medium high heat until lightly browned on the edges but not cooked all the way through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Cook the salted and drained eggplant with olive oil on medium high heat until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Bringing It Together
- Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute in remaining olive oil. Add the tomatoes, salt, oregano, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, zucchini, bell peppers, and eggplant into the tomatoes and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently until tender or desired doneness.
- Add salt, pepper, a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of white or red wine vinegar. Scatter torn basil leaves on top. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread.
Notes
- For the best flavor, use ripe, in-season summer vegetables.
- Salting the eggplant draws out moisture and bitterness, resulting in a better texture.
- Ratatouille tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together.
