FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• My Easy Ratatouille Recipe Is A Spiral Of Fresh French Flavor
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make Ratatouille
• My Recipe Tips
• Ratatouille Recipe (Fresh, Easy Side Dish) Recipe card
• Serving Ideas
• Recipe Reviews

My Easy Ratatouille Recipe Is A Spiral Of Fresh French Flavor

If you think French food is all baguettes and croissants, let me introduce you to my ratatouille recipe . This classic French dish looks fancy, but it’s actually so simple and packed with fresh summer veggies. I first enjoyed it in the South of France, and here’s why I made this version the way I did:

• Layers upon layers of tender vegetables over herby tomato sauce – Many ratatouille recipes chop them small and saute in lots of sauce like a stew, but this layered spiral is by far my favorite way to make it. It’s just like my favorite one I had in France (and I later learned, it’s like the kind in the movie, too). Having this velvety, flavorful sauce on the bottom lets the veggies caramelize a little on top without giving up flavor.
• Fresh, simple ingredients – This ratatouille dish is a burst of fresh produce! Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions are the best of summer, but also a little cozy when we head into fall.
• So pretty, but so easy – I’m partial to beautiful food, but only if it’s simple! This is the best of both worlds.

This photo is from one of our strolls in the South of France. If you want to feel like you’re there, grab your veggies and make this easy ratatouille recipe with me!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my ratatouille recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Vegetables – I used sliced Roma tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onions. You can also add or swap in yellow squash or patty pan squash . Some ratatouille recipes also use bell peppers, but these are primarily for the stew version.
• Canned Tomatoes – I usually use diced tomatoes , but crushed ones or even tomato sauce works fine. See my tips below to help you decide.
• Balsamic Vinegar – Adds a little tang and sweetness to this ratatouille. You can try a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar instead, but they’re not quite the same because they aren’t sweet.
• Herbs de Provence – I use this French spice blend and it takes me back to Nice, France! It has thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, savory, and lavender flowers. If you can’t find it, Italian seasoning will work.
• Garlic – I recommend fresh minced garlic, but you can substitute 1/2 tablespoon of jarred garlic or 3/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Olive Oil , Sea Salt, & Black Pepper – For roasting. Toss in some red pepper flakes if you want some heat.
• Fresh Basil – I use some in the sauce and extra on top of the ratatouille dish. If you don’t have any, add an extra 2 teaspoons of Herbs de Provence — but I don’t recommend it on top.

How To Make Ratatouille

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

1. Make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender , and puree until smooth. Spread sauce in a thin layer in a medium casserole dish .
2. Assemble the ratatouille recipe. Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onions in a spiral, alternating them. Start on the outer edge of the dish and work inward. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
3. Bake until tender and bubbly. I like to garnish with fresh basil, but feel free to use any fresh herbs you’ve got.

My Recipe Tips

• Choose vegetables similar in size, and cut as needed. This means medium-large tomatoes (I used Romas because they’re the perfect size), small onions, and small eggplants (which are sweeter and less bitter anyway). You’ll still want to cut the eggplant into quarters.
• Cut the veggies to the same thickness, too. I recommend thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick, for fast and even cooking. Uniform size and thickness will ensure that the vegetables all cook at the same rate.
• A mandoline like this makes slicing faster and easier. I’ve made this ratatouille dish with just a sharp knife before, but it’s much faster with my mandoline! Highly recommend.
• If your eggplant is larger, you may need to salt it. Again, I recommend a smaller size anyway, but if you only have a big one, sprinkle it with salt and let it sit for 20 minutes to remove any bitterness. Rinse and pat dry before layering it in.
• If you don’t have a blender , use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes and just stir the sauce together. This will get you closer to that smooth sauce texture, although it’s not quite as silky as blended.
• To make the vegetables easier to arrange, set up the alternating rows on a cutting board first. I just transfer them in stacks to the pan, fanning them out as I go.
• My ratatouille recipe is ideal in a medium baking dish, not too big or too small. I use this one (shown in my pictures here) and it’s the perfect size. Plus, there’s an option for a lid for easy storage! If your pan is too big, it won’t feel like enough sauce and the vegetables can dry out.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

Ratatouille Sauce:

• 1 14.5-oz can Diced tomatoes (drained) ▢
• 1 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar ▢
• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence ▢
• 3 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 2 tbsp Fresh basil (chopped) ▢
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt (to taste) ▢

Vegetables:

• 3 medium Roma tomatoes (sliced) ▢
• 2 medium Zucchini (~3/4 lb, sliced) ▢
• 1 small Eggplant (1 lb, sliced, and slices cut into quarters) ▢
• 1 small Onion (sliced) ▢
• 1 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/8 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender . Puree until smooth. If needed, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread the sauce in a thin layer in a medium round or oval casserole dish ( this one is the perfect size ).
4. Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onion in a spiral, alternating them. (You’ll want the eggplant slices cut into quarters so that they are similar size to the tomato, zucchini and onion slices.) Drizzle with olive oil on top, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Bake ratatouille for about 30-35 minutes , until veggies are tender and sauce is bubbly at the edges.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to to help your ratatouille cook evenly, avoid bitter eggplant, arrange the spiral more easily, and more.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. If it’s only a day or two, I just cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Meal prep: You can chop the veggies ahead of time and stash them in airtight containers in the fridge. The eggplant is the exception — I recommend slicing it right before cooking, or it will brown.
• Reheat: Pop the dish in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or microwave individual portions.
• Freeze: This ratatouille recipe freezes great for up to 3 months. If I’m making it to freeze, I undercook it a bit, so the veggies are less mushy later. (Don’t freeze it raw, either, or the texture will be even worse.) Thaw before reheating.

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Ebook Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Ratatouille Recipe

Serving Ideas

Ratatouille makes an amazing side for any of my French main dishes, or just a simple protein to let the veggie dish shine:

• Every day French dishes – My most recent French dinner favorites are chicken paillard and salmon en papillote , but I’ve also enjoyed ratatouille with French onion chicken and chicken Florentine (yes, it’s French, not Italian!).
• Fancy French dishes – For a special occasion, try my Chilean sea bass with beurre blanc , lobster thermidor , or coq au vin . Start the meal with my chicken liver pate !
• Simple dishes – If you just want a simple weeknight dinner, you can’t go wrong with crispy baked chicken thighs , juicy baked chicken breasts , flaky baked salmon , or a tender petite sirloin steak .
• Potatoes – If you want to add a heartier side, my Greek lemon potatoes work surprisingly well alongside the flavors here.

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Ratatouille Recipe (Fresh, Easy Side Dish)

Make my easy ratatouille recipe with zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and onions layered in herby tomato sauce. A fresh, flavorful side dish!

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/ratatouille-recipe/

Ingredients

Ratatouille Sauce:

• 1 14.5-oz can Diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence
• 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp Fresh basil (chopped)
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt (to taste)

Vegetables:

• 3 medium Roma tomatoes (sliced)
• 2 medium Zucchini (~3/4 lb, sliced)
• 1 small Eggplant (1 lb, sliced, and slices cut into quarters)
• 1 small Onion (sliced)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt
• 1/8 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender . Puree until smooth. If needed, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread the sauce in a thin layer in a medium round or oval casserole dish ( this one is the perfect size ).
4. Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onion in a spiral, alternating them. (You’ll want the eggplant slices cut into quarters so that they are similar size to the tomato, zucchini and onion slices.) Drizzle with olive oil on top, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Bake ratatouille for about 30-35 minutes , until veggies are tender and sauce is bubbly at the edges.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to to help your ratatouille cook evenly, avoid bitter eggplant, arrange the spiral more easily, and more.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. If it’s only a day or two, I just cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Meal prep: You can chop the veggies ahead of time and stash them in airtight containers in the fridge. The eggplant is the exception – I recommend slicing it right before cooking, or it will brown.
• Reheat: Pop the dish in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or microwave individual portions.
• Freeze: This ratatouille recipe freezes great for up to 3 months. If I’m making it to freeze, I undercook it a bit, so the veggies are less mushy later. (Don’t freeze it raw, either, or the texture will be even worse.) Thaw before reheating.

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Ebook Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)

FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• My Easy Ratatouille Recipe Is A Spiral Of Fresh French Flavor
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make Ratatouille
• My Recipe Tips
• Ratatouille Recipe (Fresh, Easy Side Dish) Recipe card
• Serving Ideas
• Recipe Reviews

My Easy Ratatouille Recipe Is A Spiral Of Fresh French Flavor

If you think French food is all baguettes and croissants, let me introduce you to my ratatouille recipe . This classic French dish looks fancy, but it’s actually so simple and packed with fresh summer veggies. I first enjoyed it in the South of France, and here’s why I made this version the way I did:

• Layers upon layers of tender vegetables over herby tomato sauce – Many ratatouille recipes chop them small and saute in lots of sauce like a stew, but this layered spiral is by far my favorite way to make it. It’s just like my favorite one I had in France (and I later learned, it’s like the kind in the movie, too). Having this velvety, flavorful sauce on the bottom lets the veggies caramelize a little on top without giving up flavor.
• Fresh, simple ingredients – This ratatouille dish is a burst of fresh produce! Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions are the best of summer, but also a little cozy when we head into fall.
• So pretty, but so easy – I’m partial to beautiful food, but only if it’s simple! This is the best of both worlds.

This photo is from one of our strolls in the South of France. If you want to feel like you’re there, grab your veggies and make this easy ratatouille recipe with me!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my ratatouille recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Vegetables – I used sliced Roma tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onions. You can also add or swap in yellow squash or patty pan squash . Some ratatouille recipes also use bell peppers, but these are primarily for the stew version.
• Canned Tomatoes – I usually use diced tomatoes , but crushed ones or even tomato sauce works fine. See my tips below to help you decide.
• Balsamic Vinegar – Adds a little tang and sweetness to this ratatouille. You can try a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar instead, but they’re not quite the same because they aren’t sweet.
• Herbs de Provence – I use this French spice blend and it takes me back to Nice, France! It has thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, savory, and lavender flowers. If you can’t find it, Italian seasoning will work.
• Garlic – I recommend fresh minced garlic, but you can substitute 1/2 tablespoon of jarred garlic or 3/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Olive Oil , Sea Salt, & Black Pepper – For roasting. Toss in some red pepper flakes if you want some heat.
• Fresh Basil – I use some in the sauce and extra on top of the ratatouille dish. If you don’t have any, add an extra 2 teaspoons of Herbs de Provence — but I don’t recommend it on top.

How To Make Ratatouille

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

1. Make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender , and puree until smooth. Spread sauce in a thin layer in a medium casserole dish .
2. Assemble the ratatouille recipe. Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onions in a spiral, alternating them. Start on the outer edge of the dish and work inward. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
3. Bake until tender and bubbly. I like to garnish with fresh basil, but feel free to use any fresh herbs you’ve got.

My Recipe Tips

• Choose vegetables similar in size, and cut as needed. This means medium-large tomatoes (I used Romas because they’re the perfect size), small onions, and small eggplants (which are sweeter and less bitter anyway). You’ll still want to cut the eggplant into quarters.
• Cut the veggies to the same thickness, too. I recommend thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick, for fast and even cooking. Uniform size and thickness will ensure that the vegetables all cook at the same rate.
• A mandoline like this makes slicing faster and easier. I’ve made this ratatouille dish with just a sharp knife before, but it’s much faster with my mandoline! Highly recommend.
• If your eggplant is larger, you may need to salt it. Again, I recommend a smaller size anyway, but if you only have a big one, sprinkle it with salt and let it sit for 20 minutes to remove any bitterness. Rinse and pat dry before layering it in.
• If you don’t have a blender , use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes and just stir the sauce together. This will get you closer to that smooth sauce texture, although it’s not quite as silky as blended.
• To make the vegetables easier to arrange, set up the alternating rows on a cutting board first. I just transfer them in stacks to the pan, fanning them out as I go.
• My ratatouille recipe is ideal in a medium baking dish, not too big or too small. I use this one (shown in my pictures here) and it’s the perfect size. Plus, there’s an option for a lid for easy storage! If your pan is too big, it won’t feel like enough sauce and the vegetables can dry out.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

Ratatouille Sauce:

• 1 14.5-oz can Diced tomatoes (drained) ▢
• 1 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar ▢
• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence ▢
• 3 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 2 tbsp Fresh basil (chopped) ▢
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt (to taste) ▢

Vegetables:

• 3 medium Roma tomatoes (sliced) ▢
• 2 medium Zucchini (~3/4 lb, sliced) ▢
• 1 small Eggplant (1 lb, sliced, and slices cut into quarters) ▢
• 1 small Onion (sliced) ▢
• 1 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/8 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender . Puree until smooth. If needed, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread the sauce in a thin layer in a medium round or oval casserole dish ( this one is the perfect size ).
4. Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onion in a spiral, alternating them. (You’ll want the eggplant slices cut into quarters so that they are similar size to the tomato, zucchini and onion slices.) Drizzle with olive oil on top, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Bake ratatouille for about 30-35 minutes , until veggies are tender and sauce is bubbly at the edges.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to to help your ratatouille cook evenly, avoid bitter eggplant, arrange the spiral more easily, and more.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. If it’s only a day or two, I just cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Meal prep: You can chop the veggies ahead of time and stash them in airtight containers in the fridge. The eggplant is the exception — I recommend slicing it right before cooking, or it will brown.
• Reheat: Pop the dish in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or microwave individual portions.
• Freeze: This ratatouille recipe freezes great for up to 3 months. If I’m making it to freeze, I undercook it a bit, so the veggies are less mushy later. (Don’t freeze it raw, either, or the texture will be even worse.) Thaw before reheating.

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Ebook Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

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Ratatouille Recipe

Serving Ideas

Ratatouille makes an amazing side for any of my French main dishes, or just a simple protein to let the veggie dish shine:

• Every day French dishes – My most recent French dinner favorites are chicken paillard and salmon en papillote , but I’ve also enjoyed ratatouille with French onion chicken and chicken Florentine (yes, it’s French, not Italian!).
• Fancy French dishes – For a special occasion, try my Chilean sea bass with beurre blanc , lobster thermidor , or coq au vin . Start the meal with my chicken liver pate !
• Simple dishes – If you just want a simple weeknight dinner, you can’t go wrong with crispy baked chicken thighs , juicy baked chicken breasts , flaky baked salmon , or a tender petite sirloin steak .
• Potatoes – If you want to add a heartier side, my Greek lemon potatoes work surprisingly well alongside the flavors here.