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French · Mediterranean

Ratatouille

Vegetarian

Provençal summer stew of aubergine, courgette, peppers, onion and tomato, slowly cooked in olive oil with garlic and herbs until soft and melded.

Ratatouille is a French stew from France, ready in about 1 hour 20 minutes and made with eggplant, zucchini and tomato. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Close-up of a vibrant, fresh ratatouille with tomatoes, eggplants, and spices.
Photo: Edita Brus / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h
Total
1 h 20 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
276

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fry the aubergine (opens in a new tab) in 3 tablespoons of oil with a pinch of the salt until golden on all sides. Remove. Repeat with the courgette (opens in a new tab) in a little more oil.

  2. Step 2

    In a heavy pot, cook the onion (opens in a new tab) and peppers (opens in a new tab) in the remaining oil until soft. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) for a minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), thyme (opens in a new tab), bay and remaining salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) and simmer until saucy.

    • 10 min
    • medium-low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Return the aubergine (opens in a new tab) and courgette (opens in a new tab), cover and stew gently, stirring occasionally, until everything is very tender.

    • 25 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Remove the herb stalks and bay leaf (opens in a new tab), stir in the basil (opens in a new tab) and serve warm or at room temperature.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Provence (Nice), France · Well documentedMore food from France
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Side dishes · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Sautéed, Stewed
    Taste
    savoury, herby, garlicky, sweet
    Diet
    Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Mediterranean-style · Low-carb · Carb-conscious
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Batch cooking
    Cook more with
    Eggplant · Zucchini · Tomato · Onion · Red bell pepper · Green bell pepper
    Techniques
    Sautéing · Simmering · Stewing

    Allergens

    None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    276 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 446 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 6%
    • Carbohydrate 29%
    • Fat 65%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy276 kcal62 kcal
    Protein4.5 g1 g
    Carbohydrate21.5 g4.8 g
    Net carbohydrate13.8 g3.1 g
    Sugars12.8 g2.9 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre7.6 g1.7 g
    Fat21.2 g4.7 g
    Saturated fat3 g0.7 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium894 mg200 mg
    Salt equivalent2.2 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    978 mg
    Calcium
    59 mg
    Iron
    1.5 mg
    Magnesium
    58 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    115 µg
    Vitamin C
    103 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    89 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: basil.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Frying the vegetables separately keeps their shape and flavours distinct.
    • It tastes even better the next day.

    Common mistakes

    • Crowding the pan when frying, which steams the aubergine instead of browning it.

    Serve with

    • Serve with crusty bread, over polenta, with a fried egg, or alongside roast lamb or fish.

    Storage

    • Keeps 4 days in the fridge; freezes well for 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Warm gently on the stove, or serve at room temperature.

    Variations

    • Confit byaldi: A layered, thinly sliced baked version popularised by modern chefs.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    • Eggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes1 piece · 450 g
    • Zucchini, cut into 2 cm pieces2 piece · 400 g
    • Red bell pepper, cut into 2 cm pieces1 piece · 120 g
    • Tomato, peeled and chopped4 piece · 480 g
    Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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