When you make Ratatouille in the oven, you get to enjoy a hands-free prep that comes together in just 30 minutes. This classic French dish is a delicious way to serve eggplant, summer squash, peppers, and tomatoes.
One of my favorite Easy French Recipes, this vegetable dish is perfect served with Baked Lemon And Thyme Rice, making for an excellent vegan meal. Jazz it up with a fried egg or a slice of Bacon and Spinach Quiche for meatier protein.
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As a lifelong francophile and a French lit major, I’m a big fan of serving classic French dishes at home.
Sometimes I go all out with the courses: a carrot salad; pork medallions and potatoes; salad with Dijon Vinaigrette and a cheese plate followed by a dessert, like Chocolate Fondue.
Other times, I go simple. Like with this Ratatouille you make in the oven. I might serve it with rice for a simple vegan meal or beef it up with something off the grill. It may be “a peasant dish” as Colette claims, but it is delicious. And leftovers are excellent the next day.
Why Make This
It’s yummy! Ratatouille is not a pretty dish, but it is delicious! The flavors of summer simmer into a delicious melange of flavors from the zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes.
It’s easy. Making ratatouille in the oven is a hands-free alternative to cooking it on the stovetop like a stew. Easy-peasy.
It’s freezer-friendly. Feel free to make extra to freeze. Ratatouille is delicious reheated later.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make ratatouille:
ratatouille vegetables – There are specific vegetables traditionally included, such as tomatoes, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper. I confess that I often use canned tomatoes so that I can use the garden-ripe ones for eating fresh. Go with what you got. Play with the proportions to get the sauciness level you prefer.
olive oil – Olive oil is one of the flavors of the south of France, so definitely try to include it if you can. Another neutral oil can be substituted.
seasonings – salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence are common and so very delicious in this dish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make ratatouille in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the eggplant, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes on a rimmed baking pan.
- Combine the garlic and olive oil and drizzle over the vegetables. Stir to combine.
- Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and herbes de provence.
- Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
FAQs
Serve it simply over rice, alongside grilled chicken and fish, and also with fried eggs, which is the way my French mom says to do it.
The typical vegetables included in ratatouille are eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and bell pepper.
Ratatouille is excellent for freezing. Chill it completely in the fridge prior to storing it in the freezer in airtight containers. To serve: reheat and serve.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- eggplant – $0.98
- zucchini – $0.98
- onion – $0.25
- green bell pepper – $0.50
- tomatoes – $0.99
- garlic – $0.05
- olive oil – $0.09
- seasonings – $0.10
While your prices may vary depending on where you shop, you can expect to pay somewhere around $3.94 for a batch of ratatouille, about 99 cents/serving.
Easy French Recipes
Oven Roasted Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant peeled and cubed
- 1-2 zucchini sliced if small, but cut into half-moons if larger
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 3-6 tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- herbes de provence to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the eggplant, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes on a rimmed baking pan.
- Combine the garlic and olive oil and drizzle over the vegetables. Stir to combine.
- Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and herbes de provence.
- Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 24, 2014. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Carol B.
I really liked how the ratatouille cooked in the oven came out! I have made it before on the stovetop, but would have to cook the tomato juice down. This worked like a charm.
Laurie
Oh zippity-do-da, that stuff was fantastic!!! I had all of the ingredients on hand and needed to use some up before the A.H. basket arrives tomorrow. I’ve stashed away all of the leftovers for moi. I will be having it with eggs for breakfast and maybe some with my kielbasa at lunch. I’m on a type of low carb diet. What a great and healthy way to use up veggies. (I even had fresh tomatoes on hand I needed to use too!)
Jessica Fisher
So glad you enjoyed it. We’re making another batch today.
Trish
that sounds very exciting! I can’t wait to hear about the trip! From what I have read, French children have a much better attitude towards food than their American counterparts, due to the culture of introducing foods to them at a very early age. I read the book ‘French kids eat everything’ – wow, they really have the right attitude towards food in France! Sets the kids up with lifelong healthy attitudes towards food.
Jessica Fisher
Yep. I read that book a few years ago and started changing how I approached things.
Christine A
Yum! Sounds easy and delicious! I think I will try this in the upcoming weeks!
Karen
How exciting that your trip is getting closer! We have been to France twice. Once when our children were two and seven, the second time a few years ago with no kids. The kid trip, of course, was way different. Lots of picnics. We’d load the string bag on the back of the little one’s umbrella stroller with lunch foods-just enough so she wouldn’t tip over-then stop at a grassy area when ever we were hungry. Much better than hauling them into restaurants several times a day. Breakfast was almost always included in our accomodations-coffee, baguettes, croissants, yogurt and sometimes, if we were lucky, hard boiled eggs. For dinners we found some great crepe places. I hadn’t had savory crepes before that trip. It was pretty easy to find which restaurants were kid accepting and which weren’t-important with a two year old in tow. My very peak eating experience in France was a cassoulet. It was in a small village where we ordered completely in French-an interesting challenge for us. The wine that went with it was excellent too. I’d love to see your recipe! Travel is such an enriching experience for children. You will have such fun!
Jessica Fisher
The more I research restaurants, the more i learn that with a walnut and peanut allergy, we’re going to need to picnic a ton. They just can’t guarantee she’ll be safe. 🙁