Ratatouille

3 Hours

6 - 8 Servings

Medium

Traditional ratatouille is a rustic Provençal vegetable stew, but this version takes inspiration from the layered presentation of a tian, with thinly sliced vegetables arranged in overlapping layers before baking. It’s a take on this dish made famous by Pixar’s Ratatouille, and while it looks impressive, the technique is surprisingly simple.

The 3.5 QT Stainless Clad Sauté Pan is especially well suited to the recipe. Its wide cooking surface gives you plenty of room to build the tomato and red pepper sauce, while the high sides hold the layers of vegetables as they bake. The lid traps steam during the first part of cooking, then comes off so the vegetables can brown around the edges.

A layered take on classic ratatouille, with thinly sliced summer vegetables baked until tender over a rich tomato and red pepper sauce.

Rhoda Boone, Culinary Director

Print Recipe

3 Hours

6 - 8 Servings

Medium

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

For the Vegetables:
2 long thin Chinese or Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound)
2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)
2 medium yellow squash (about 1 pound)
4–5 Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Basil leaves and flaky sea salt, for serving

Instructions

1.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
2.
Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a 3.5 QT Stainless Clad Sauté Pan over medium. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3.
Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly, about 2 minutes.
4.
Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15–20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. For a smoother sauce, blend directly in the pan with an immersion blender, or carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
5.
If the sauce looks especially thick, stir in 2–4 Tbsp. water. Spread into an even layer across the bottom of the pan.
6.
Meanwhile, slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes into ⅛-inch-thick rounds. Spread in an even layer on Sheet Pans and season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and thyme.
7.
Arrange the vegetables upright in overlapping concentric circles over the sauce, alternating eggplant, zucchini, squash, and tomato. To make this easier, create small stacks of alternating vegetables first, then place the stacks in the pan. You should have enough vegetables to form 2–3 concentric circles. Continue until the pan is filled, including the center. The vegetables should be packed tightly together.
8.
Drizzle with the olive oil. Cover with the lid and bake until the vegetables are tender, 45–55 minutes.
9.
Remove the lid and continue baking until the vegetables are completely tender and lightly browned around the edges, 30–35 minutes more.
10.
Let rest for 10 minutes. Scatter with the basil, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with flaky sea salt before serving.

As Made In's Culinary Creative Director, Rhoda Boone develops and tests the recipes that anchor the blog, drawing on a career built around food content direction, recipe development, and education. Her contributions range from comforting classics like easy fruit crisp, skillet chicken pot pie, and smash burgers to more technique-driven dishes such as reverse-seared steak, lobster thermidor, and duck confit hash,, alongside thorough care guides for keeping cookware in top shape.