Description
This Easy Ratatouille Recipe is a simple and healthy Mediterranean vegetable dish made with fresh eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell peppers baked in olive oil and aromatic herbs. Inspired by rustic coastal cooking, this colorful oven-baked ratatouille delivers rich flavor with minimal effort. Perfect as a vegetarian main course or a comforting side dish, it tastes even better the next day and pairs beautifully with crusty bread, grilled fish, or roasted chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
- 2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Lightly grease a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until soft.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Spread the onion and garlic mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Arrange the sliced eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell peppers vertically in alternating patterns.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil evenly over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper on top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20–25 minutes until vegetables are tender and slightly golden.
- Allow the ratatouille to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve warm.
Notes
For best results, sprinkle salt over eggplant slices and let them rest for 20 minutes before cooking, then pat dry. Use fresh seasonal vegetables for deeper flavor. Ratatouille tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg