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Ratatouille

⏱ ~130 min (est.)InvolvedVegetarianFranceVegan-friendly
Ratatouille

If you've got aubergine, courgettes and tomato, you're most of the way to this French vegetarian: about 130 minutes of cooking across 22 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 22 steps.

You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At involved difficulty across 22 steps, it's worth setting aside proper time for. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.

What you'll need

Servings4

Shopping list (4)

Pantry staples (you likely have these)

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How to make it

  1. Cut the aubergines in half lengthways.
  2. Place them on the board, cut side down, slice in half lengthways again and then across into 1.5cm chunks.
  3. Cut off the courgettes ends, then across into 1.5cm slices.
  4. Peel the peppers from stalk to bottom.
  5. Hold upright, cut around the stalk, then cut into 3 pieces.
  6. Cut away any membrane, then chop into bite-size chunks.
  7. Score a small cross on the base of each tomato, then put them into a heatproof bowl.
  8. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, leave for 20 secs, then remove.
  9. Pour the water away, replace the tomatoes and cover with cold water.
  10. Leave to cool, then peel the skin away.
  11. Quarter the tomatoes, scrape away the seeds with a spoon, then roughly chop the flesh.
  12. Set a sauté pan over medium heat and when hot, pour in 2 tbsp olive oil.
  13. Brown the aubergines for 5 mins on each side until the pieces are soft.
  14. Set them aside and fry the courgettes in another tbsp oil for 5 mins, until golden on both sides.
  15. Repeat with the peppers.
  16. Don’t overcook the vegetables at this stage, as they have some more cooking left in the next step.
  17. Tear up the basil leaves and set aside.
  18. Cook the onion in the pan for 5 mins.
  19. Add the garlic and fry for a further min.
  20. Stir in the vinegar and sugar, then tip in the tomatoes and half the basil.
  21. Return the vegetables to the pan with some salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins.
  22. Serve with basil.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan

Watch how it's made

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Ingredient substitutions

Red Wine
beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar · grape juice + vinegar

What to serve with Ratatouille

Tips & common questions

How long does Ratatouille take to make?

About 130 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 22 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of red wine?

Try beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Ratatouille vegan?

Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.

Recipe data for Ratatouille via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.