Easy Ratatouille recipe, just like in the movie! This summery French classic vegetable stew is quick, easy and makes the most of seasonal veggies.

This easy ratatouille recipe all comes together in less than 1 hour, and it’s one of the easiest one-pot meals around, made with super simple ingredients and requires very little cooking skills.

Plus, as an added bonus, it’s naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan, making a fantastic allergy-friendly option.

Where does it come from?

The name of the recipe comes from the French ratouiller and tatouiller, expressive forms of the verb touiller, which means "to stir up". 

The origin of the ratatouille dish is in the area around Provence and Nice and compared to many other classics, it is a relatively new one.

It appeared for the first time in France back in the 18^th century. Its name first appeared in English in 1877. 

This traditional French dish is close to the bohémienne , also Provencal recipe, both of peasant origin.

The Sicilian caponata is also close, but slightly more on the tart side, thanks to the addition of capers and vinegar.

Ingredients 

When it comes to ratatouille ingredients, I'm sticking to the classic recipe,  which calls for simple vegetables such as:

• courgette (squash zucchini or yellow zucchini)
• red or yellow peppers
• aubergine
• tomatoes
• onion
• garlic

Try to get the absolute best quality vegetables you can. It will definitely make this dish from good to AMAZING.

When you go shopping for the vegetables, look for courgette and aubergine that have a similar diameter, so that when you will slice them, they will stack together evenly.

Great fresh vegetables have a fantastic flavour on their own, but also make sure to choose super high-quality tinned tomatoes for the sauce.

I pick the Italian San Marzano variety whenever I find it, but any great organic plum tomato variety will do.

For the herbs, if you have herbs de Provence at hand, totally go for it.

Otherwise, you'll be just as happy with some freshly dried oregano (I used my mom's Sicilian oregano!) and fresh thyme sprigs.

Recipe instructions and tips

The recipe is super easy to make and you'll only need a big pot (make sure it's oven-friendly) and a blender.

Before starting prepping the sauce, get all the veggies ready. Slice them all evenly, and set them aside.

Step 1. Prepare the sauce

• Heat some olive oil in a pan, add in garlic and onion, followed by the tomatoes and bell peppers, sugar, balsamic vinegar, thyme and oregano.
• Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
• Now, transfer the sauce into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth (or leave it a bit chunky if you like the texture).
• Pour the sauce over the bottom of a large shallow cast-iron pan, or baking pan.

Step 2. Top with the veggies and bake

• Arrange one slice of each thinly-sliced vegetable on the pan and continue until the pan is full.
• To make things easier, stack the veggie slices in your hand then layer them into the pan. Season with salt and pepper, oregano and a nice swirl of olive oil.
• Now that you have layered up all the veggies, it's time to transfer the pot in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes.
• Check after 20 minutes if the veggies are cooked through and the sauce is nicely bubbling on the sides.
• Remove the pot from the oven, allow to cool slightly and serve.

Cooking tip: To make things quicker, you can simply cube all the veggies.

For a pretty presentation, I like to slice them up separately and line them up in order.

It takes a few more minutes but will make this dish look like you spent the whole day on it!

Use a baking dish, dutch oven or cast-iron pot

For minimum washing up, I like to use a cast iron pan when prepping up this dish.

You cook the sauce in the pot, then fold in the veggies and transfer the pot in the oven to finish off cooking.

However, you can definitely opt for a classic baking dish or dutch oven.

What to serve it with

This side dish pairs well with many different dishes, but can also easily be served on its own, with some grilled crusty bread.

It is one of those easy one-pan weeknight dinners. It’s super healthy, quick and fulfilling, and all you need to make it a meal is to serve it with your favourite protein.

Some of my favourite dishes to serve it with include:

• Grilled meat, fish, poultry
• Italian chicken cutlets
• Classic French omelette ( or Japanese omelette, to make things more interesting)
• 20-Minute Baked Fish Croquettes
• Italian potato frittata
• Vegan quinoa summer salad

Can I freeze it?

Absolutely yes!

I usually make a big batch, store leftovers into individual freezer-friendly containers, and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

This post was firs published in August 2017 and updated with more info.