Ratatouille Recipe: The Classic French Vegetable Dish That Stole Hearts

We all know Ratatouille as the dish that helped a tiny rat with a passion for cooking win over a tough food critic's heart. Ever since that beloved animated film, this iconic vegetable dish has become incredibly popular. While it's traditionally made as a home-style stew in France — much like the Turkish vegetable stew (türlü), with vegetables diced small and simmered slowly in a pot — this version is baked in the oven and beautifully arranged for presentation. It promises a true flavor journey. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons Nermin Hanım Edremit Early Harvest Olive Oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1 bell pepper (roasted/charred)
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4–5 sprigs Nermin Hanım Wild Mountain Thyme
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Vegetables:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 tomato
• 1 teacup (about ½ cup) Nermin Hanım Edremit Early Harvest Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Topping:

• 3–4 tablespoons Nermin Hanım Edremit Early Harvest Olive Oil
• 1–2 sprigs Nermin Hanım Wild Mountain Thyme

Instructions

Preparing the Tomato Sauce

1. Roast the bell pepper over an open flame or under a broiler until charred. While still hot, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest. Once cooled, peel off the skin and remove the seeds.
2. Blend the tomatoes into a puree, then add the charred pepper and blend again until smooth.
3. Finely chop the onion. Sauté it in olive oil over low heat in a pan; add the garlic if you'd like.
4. Add the tomato-pepper puree to the pan. Stir in the sugar, salt, black pepper, and thyme sprigs, then simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes.
5. Remove the thyme sprigs and spread the sauce evenly across the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish.

Preparing and Baking the Vegetables

1. Slice the eggplants into thin rounds, leaving the skin on. Soak them in salted water for 15 minutes, then drain.
2. Slice the zucchini and tomato into rounds of the same thickness. In a large bowl, toss all the vegetables together with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
3. Arrange the vegetable slices over the sauce in the baking dish, working from the outer edge inward in slightly overlapping concentric circles.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the top and scatter a few sprigs of thyme.
5. Cover the dish with parchment paper, then wrap it with aluminum foil, poking a few small holes in the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the foil and parchment, then continue baking for another 30 minutes, until the surface is lightly golden.
7. Take the dish out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Serving Suggestion

This dish is a feast for both the eyes and the palate — the kind that gets people asking, "what's this beautiful dish?" the moment it hits the table. Don't forget to follow Nermin Hanım Zeytinliği for more delicious recipes.