Learn how to make eggplant ratatouille – a classic French stew made from zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and lots of aromatics. Simple ingredients result in a rich veggie sauce that pairs perfectly with pasta!
If you’ve never had it before, ratatouille is a French Provençal dish that is made of stewed vegetables. The ingredients are very simple and you can customize it with your favorite veggies! This particular recipe uses eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes as the main vegetables, with garlic and onions for flavoring.
Since I love all of those vegetables with pasta, I thought it would be perfect to serve this stew over Italian noodles. And my goodness is it delicious! It’s rich and vibrant and tastes similar to homemade tomato sauce, but with more nutritious veggies.
The cooking process is pretty straightforward with a little bit of labor involved in cooking the vegetables evenly before simmering them! But overall, the recipe is very simple and easy to make happen. Shall we?!
Ingredients – What You Need
Below you’ll find the full list of ingredients (besides oil, salt & pepper) that you need to make this recipe!
Tomatoes: to make the stew a little saucy. I recommend using Roma or plum tomatoes, or large garden tomatoes.
Eggplant: This purple vegetable has a very “meaty” texture when cooked. Leave the skin on for more texture!
Zucchini: you use a yellow or green zucchini.
Yellow onion: to add flavor to the stew!
Garlic: I use both fresh garlic cloves and powder to layer lots of flavor.
Basil: a touch of fresh basil for flavor at the end! I don’t recommend using dried basil.
Pasta noodles: use whatever noodles you like! I used rigatoni.
Step by Step Photos and Recipe Instructions
Note: You will need to saute the vegetables in batches for each vegetable to cook evenly when everything simmers.
(Step 1-2) Saute cubed eggplant in a large pot with a pinch of salt in oil until soft (about 5-7 minutes).
Then transfer cooked eggplant into a bowl.
(Step 3-4) in the same pot as the eggplant, add a little more oil, and saute zucchini with a pinch of salt until soft (about 5 minutes).
Remove cooked zucchini from the pot and add to the same bowl as eggplant.
(Step 5) using the same pot as the zucchini, add onions and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.
(Step 6) Then add diced tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.
When tomatoes have cooked down a little, add the zucchini and eggplant, garlic powder, and a generous pinch of salt.
Let the vegetables cook on a LOW to a MEDIUM simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the stew thickens, stirring often.
When the stew is finished, taste, and adjust with additional salt & black pepper. Stir in chopped fresh basil and serve with pasta noodles!
Tips for Success
Toppings – add extra flavor by sprinkling fresh parmesan cheese over top of the pasta and ratatouille! You can also add additional herbs like thyme or fresh oregano.
Types of pasta noodles to use – you can use any pasta noodle you like! Some of my favorites are rigatoni, penne, rotini, fussili, or farfalle.
What to serve it with – this dish pairs perfectly alongside a delicious salad like our Summer farro salad, Tuscan artichoke salad, or this Italian salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
What else can I serve ratatouille with? You can also serve this recipe over fish or chicken! Or alongside your favorite meal as a side dish.
How long does it keep? It should keep for about 4-5 days refrigerated.
Can I freeze it? The sauce, yes. Let it cool to room temperature and store in a freezer-friendly bag and lay flat or in an airtight container. Freeze for 1-2 months.
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Eggplant Ratatouille Pasta
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Learn how to make eggplant ratatouille; a classic French stew made from zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and lots of aromatics. Simple ingredients resulting in a rich veggie sauce that pairs perfectly with pasta!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz dried pasta noodles See notes for my favorite pasta noodles
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into cubes
- 1-2 zucchinis, cut into cubes
- 1.5 lbs roma or plum tomatoes, diced or 4 large garden tomatoes (stems removed)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
Saute eggplant: in a large pot, cook diced eggplant in 1-2 teaspoons of oil with a generous pinch of salt (about 5-7 minutes). After cooking the eggplant, transfer it to another bowl.
Saute zucchini: in the same pot, add the cubed zucchini with an additional 1-2 teaspoons of oil with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Then remove zucchini and add to the same bowl of cooked eggplant.
Cook onions & tomatoes: Then in the same pot, add 1 teaspoon of oil and saute onions and garlic with a pinch of salt until soft (about 3-5 minutes). Add diced tomatoes in with onions and garlic and simmer for 10-15 minutes uncovered, stirring often.
Simmer: after tomatoes have begun to cook down, add cooked zucchini and eggplant to the pot with tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Let the stew simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the tomatoes have thickened the stew.
Cook pasta noodles: While the stew is simmering, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Then cook pasta according to package.
Season: when ratatouille is finished, stir in chopped basil and season with salt & pepper to taste before serving over pasta noodles.
Notes
Toppings – add extra flavor by sprinkling fresh parmesan cheese over top of the pasta and ratatouille! You can also add additional herbs like thyme or fresh oregano.
Types of pasta noodles to use – you can use any pasta noodle you like! Some of my favorites are rigatoni, penne, rotini, fussili, or farfalle.
What to serve it with – this dish pairs perfectly alongside a delicious salad like our Summer farro salad, Tuscan artichoke salad, or this Italian salad.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, French
Keyword eggplant ratatouille, eggplant zucchini tomato ratatouille, ratatouille pasta
Freezer Friendly Yes
Author Bethany Kramer
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups pasta with stew | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.9g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 17mg | Fiber: 8.8g | Sugar: 12.6g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 35mg
