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Dairy Free
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Gluten Free
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Nut Free
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Vegan
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Vegetarian
How to Make Ratatouille with Tomato Sauce
Ratatouille with tomato sauce is a wonderful dish that features beautifully layered vegetables. Use eggplant, tomato and zucchini baked on top of a delicious tomato sauce and topped with seasoned olive oil!
Ratatouille never ceases to amaze me. (Both the movie and the dish.) Ratatouille is a great movie!
Ahem, let’s get back on track. We’re talking all about ratatouille today; the dish. Ratatouille is an inviting and sophisticated dish. Vibrant and beautifully presented, it looks much harder to make than it actually is.
Contrary to popular opinion, making ratatouille is not time consuming. Feel free to make the tomato sauce ahead of time! Assembly is easier than ever. Slice, arrange, layer, and bake for a delicious veggie dish.
I remember the first time I even thought about making ratatouille. I was so overwhelmed. Preparing these perfectly sliced and neatly arranged veggies might be a challenge. But to my delight, I had this ratatouille recipe on my hands and a side dish completed in no time.
Ratatouille pairs with simple pasta dishes for a great combination of both carbs and veggies in one meal. For protein, roasted chicken is perfect. Fill up on this delicious dish, and enjoy a sweet and fruity dessert afterwards. A perfect meal!
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
For the ratatouille ingredients, you’ll need to find tomatoes, garlic, eggplant, onions, bell peppers, and herbs. You will find a wide variety of different ingredients that people use to make this elegant vegan dish. I use the basic vegetables that most people know well and easy to find.
Vegetables: Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, and yellow onion.
Herbs: Garlic cloves, fresh parsley.
Oil: Extra virgin olive oil.
and salt and pepper for taste.
Here’s the good news:
This ratatouille dish is impressive, but it’s quite simple to make! Your family will love this dairy-free dish.
The bad news:
This dish probably won’t last long. For some humble veggies, they do come together to make an incredible dish. Turn these fresh vegetables into an amazing dish you’ll be dreaming of.
The eggplant, zucchini, and tomato arranged in a circular pattern are pretty great in itself. But when you top it with seasoned olive oil and bake that on top of a delicious tomato sauce, it goes out of this world. Need more recipes for the new year? This dish is one you can add to your personal cookbook of accomplishments!
All you need is a thick, crusty piece of bread and you’ve got the ultimate veggie dish to cozy up to! Bon appetit!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
How to make Ratatouille with Tomato Sauce
Step 1: Prep the eggplant
Wash and slice the eggplant, add a pinch of salt and set aside.
Step 2: Prep the zucchini
Wash and slice the zucchini (you can use two if one is too small).
Step 3: Prep the tomatoes
Wash and slice tomatoes.
Tomato Sauce:
Step 1: Prepare the tomato sauce
If you are using fresh tomatoes: Boil a pot of water, add tomatoes, and let boil for 3 minutes. Peel the skin off the tomatoes and puree in a food processor or just chop.
Step 2: Add onion
Peel and chop the onion.
Step 3: Sauté and simmer
In a pan, heat the olive oil. Begin sautéing the onions. Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir occasionally until they begin to brown up. Chop the red bell pepper, then add to the onions. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the aromatics
Add puree tomatoes to the onion. Also add garlic and fresh parsley.
Step 5: Season
Turn the heat off. Salt and pepper to taste.
Putting it all together:
Step 1: Prep
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Bottom layer
Pour tomato sauce on the bottom of a shallow oven-safe casserole dish.
Step 3: Arrange sliced veggies
Arrange sliced eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes in a circular pattern.
Step 4: Add aromatics and seasoning
In a small dish, add the chopped parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Mix and pour on top of the arranged vegetables.
Step 5: Cover and bake
Cover the dish with a lid or parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour.
Step 6: Cool and enjoy
Let ratatouille cool down for a few minutes. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Instead of boiling and peeling 7 tomatoes, you can use a can of 14 oz organic whole tomatoes in sauce.
- Aim to slice the vegetables all the same thickness to ensure they all cook evenly.
- Adjust salt and black pepper to your taste when seasoning the tomato sauce.
- Consider adding other vegetables like yellow squash or bell peppers for a colorful twist.
- If you’re using fresh tomatoes, I recommend Roma tomatoes for this easy ratatouille recipe.
- Garnish with fresh basil or other fresh herbs for a beautiful presentation when serving!
- Use a pre-seasoned cast iron baking dish for even richer flavor in this recipe.
- Use fresh herbs in this recipe for best flavor. Dried herbs help out in a pinch, but don’t substitute the ideal flavors in fresh herbs.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, using pre-made tomato sauce is a time-saving alternative without sacrificing much flavor.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container; feel free to reheat them or enjoy cold.
Ratatouille complements crusty bread, rice, or quinoa; choose your favorite for a complete meal.
Yes, ratatouille freezes well; store it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Looking for some appetizers or side dish recipes to enjoy with this dish? Here are some easy ones to create:
- This Easy Cheesy Stuffed Pepper Appetizer is a great choice when you’re short on time and have simple ingredients at home.
- This fun Black Caviar Appetizer with Cream Cheese and Dill is one we like to enjoy on special occasions.
More eggplant recipes
If you tried this Ratatouille with Tomato Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
How to Make Ratatouille with Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- food processor
- Oven safe dish
- garlic press
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 5 tomatoes, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stems parsley, chopped
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Tomato Sauce:
- 7 tomatoes, boiled & peeled
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 stems fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Wash and slice the eggplant, add a pinch of salt and set aside.1 eggplant,, salt,
- Wash and slice the zucchini (you can use two if one is too small).1 zucchini,
- Wash and slice tomatoes.5 tomatoes,
Tomato Sauce:
- If you are using fresh tomatoes: Boil a pot of water, add tomatoes, and let boil for 3 minutes. Peel the skin off the tomatoes and puree in a food processor or just chop.7 tomatoes,
- Peel and chop the onion.1 onion,
- In a pan, heat the olive oil. Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir occasionally until they begin to brown up. Chop the red bell pepper, then add to the onions. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.1 red bell pepper,, 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Add puree tomatoes to the onion. Also add 1 garlic clove, and the fresh parsley.2 stems parsley,, ½ tsp sugar, 1 clove garlic,
- Turn the heat off. Salt and pepper to taste.salt,, pepper,
Putting it all together:
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Pour tomato sauce on the bottom of a shallow oven-safe casserole dish.
- Arrange sliced eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes in a circular pattern.
- In a small dish, add the chopped parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Mix and pour on top of the arranged vegetables.3 cloves garlic,, salt,, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 stems fresh parsley,, pepper,
- Cover the dish with a lid or parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour.
- Let ratatouille cool down for a few minutes. Enjoy!
