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–+ servings

Ratatouille

Dinner
Aubergines, courgettes, peppers, and tomatoes slow-cooked in olive oil until they've all melted together into this silky, jammy stew. Each vegetable keeps its own flavor but everything's infused with garlic, herbs, and that fruity Provençal olive oil. It tastes like concentrated summer, sweet, savory, rich with olive oil, fragrant with thyme and basil. Brilliant warm, somehow even better the next day when the flavors have had time to properly meld. Simple market vegetables that become surprisingly addictive.
Ratatouille recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients 

Equipment

Instructions

  1. 1. Prepare the aubergines and courgettes
    Sweat the aubergine chunks in a colander with a generous sprinkle of salt for 20 minutes, then pat dry with a clean tea towel. This little ritual keeps things meltingly tender and never bitter.
  2. 2. Sauté the vegetables separately
    Heat half the olive oil in your pan over medium heat. Sauté the aubergine until golden, then remove to a bowl. Add a splash more oil, toss in courgette and peppers, and cook just until softened. Lift each into the bowl as they’re done. This lets each veg shine and avoids a muddy stew.
  3. 3. Make the aromatic base
    Tip in the onions to the pan, sweat until translucent, then add the garlic, stirring until fragrant. Tumble in those luscious tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. 4. Combine and stew gently
    Return your cooked veggies to the pan, shower over the herbes de Provence, and season with salt and pepper. Stir gently. Cover and cook on a low heat for 20–25 minutes, or pop the lot into a 160°C oven for even slower loving. Let it mingle, but don’t stir too roughly, the vegetables should keep their personality.
  5. 5. Finishing flourish
    Taste, adjust seasoning, and if you’re feeling the French spirit, garnish with fresh basil. Serve warm with crusty bread, or cold if you’re channeling breakfast on a sun-dappled Nice terrace.

Notes

  • Ratatouille gets even better a day later, after the magic happens overnight in the fridge.
  • It’s even excellent cold, piled on toast with soft cheese or as a base for eggs.
  • Serving ratatouille with a freshly cracked egg (either fried, poached, or baked right on top) is absolutely traditional across much of southern France and is beloved as a rustic, protein-rich upgrade, especially when the dish doubles as breakfast or a light supper. It adds an irresistible richness and feels like a tapas-style nod to Provençal home cooking. 
    • If you like a runny yolk, let the ratatouille simmer gently in the pan or oven, cover, and cook the egg for 6–8 minutes until the whites are set and the yolk wobbles invitingly.
    • For fried eggs, simply crack the egg into a separate pan and slide on top, seasoning with salt and pepper.
    • Baked? Pop the assembled plates under a hot grill for 3–5 minutes.