Name: Traditional Nice-style Ratatouille
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: Provence
Ingredients: 7 tomatoes (blackberries); quelques strands ofparsley; 1 sheet ofbay leaf; quelques branches ofthyme; olive oil; salt, pepper; 2 onions (large); 4 red bell peppers (preferably organic, since they are unpeeled); 4 eggplants (preferably organic, since they are unpeeled); 4 zucchini (preferably organic, since they are unpeeled); 8 pods ofgarlic; sunflower oil (or peanut oil or olive oil, whichever you prefer); 200 g ofbacon bits (optional); chef's knife; cast-iron casserole; Maryse

side dishes prepared in advance slow cooking traditional cuisine

Updated on 18 February 2026 by

toquetoque

5 reviews 4.1 : Very good

Cuisine

Provence

Diet

GFDF Gluten-free Lactose-free Lightweight Vegan Vegetarian

Level

Easy

Preparation

30 minutes

Cooking

2 hours

Wait

10 minutes

Here is my recipe for traditional Niçoise ratatouille, which I got from my Provençal mom!

Table des matières

How do you make this traditional ratatouille?

As you’ll see, this “old-fashioned” ratatouille recipe has an incomparable flavor. It does take a little time to prepare, though, but the result is well worth the effort 😅

First, you’ll need to make a homemade tomato sauce, and at the same time, sauté the vegetables separately. Then, you’ll combine everything for the final cooking.

To save time, you can easily prepare all these intermediate steps (vegetables and tomato sauce) the day before. Then, all that’s left is the final cooking on the day of the meal.

What’s the best pot for cooking ratatouille?

Like any good slow-cooked dish, I recommend using a cast-iron pot to make this ratatouille. Cast iron ensures a stable temperature throughout the cooking process.

So you won’t risk burning your vegetables!

What oil should you use for Niçoise ratatouille?

When it comes to choosing oil, my mom uses peanut or sunflower oil for the separate cooking steps. She saves the olive oil—which is more expensive and “finer”—for the tomato sauce and the final cooking. It’s a matter of both budget and taste.

As for me, I cook everything in olive oil, and it was delicious too 😋

What’s the secret to this old-fashioned ratatouille?

In any case, this Niçoise ratatouille is truly much more flavorful than a "quick" ratatouille where you throw all the vegetables in at once.

By cooking them separately, you’ll really let the flavors of the golden vegetables shine through. Eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers… each of these vegetables has its own special charm once cooked. And the same goes for the tomato sauce, which, if prepared separately, will thicken and absorb all the aromas of the herbs.

In the end, your ratatouille will be richer and less watery. But when I think back to my grandmother’s ratatouille, which was literally swimming in oil, we’re being very reasonable by today’s standards 😊

Give it a try!

I hope you’ll want to try this traditional Provençal ratatouille, and I wish you a delicious meal in advance.

Thank you in advance for your comments 🙏

For

people

Add to shopping list

For the tomato sauce
7 tomatoes blackberries
quelques strands of parsley
1 sheet of bay leaf
quelques branches of thyme
olive oil
salt, pepper

For vegetables
2 onions large
4 red bell peppers preferably organic, since they are unpeeled
4 eggplants preferably organic, since they are unpeeled
4 zucchini preferably organic, since they are unpeeled
8 pods of garlic
sunflower oil or peanut oil or olive oil, whichever you prefer
200 g of bacon bits optional

Making the tomato sauce
- 1
  Blanch the tomatoes for one minute, then rinse them under cold water.
  Peel the tomatoes, cut them into quarters, and remove the seeds.
  Cut the quarters in half again.
- 2
  Peel, remove the germ, and slice the onion into thick strips.
  Crush, peel, and remove the germ from half of the garlic cloves. Cut them into thick slices.
  Rinse the other half of the garlic cloves and leave them whole.
  Rinse the parsley and trim off the thickest stems. Chop it coarsely.
- 3
  In a cast-iron pot, sauté the onions, garlic, and parsleyfor 10 minutes.
  If you’d like to use bacon bits, now is the time to add them.
  
  Add the tomatoes and let simmer for 45 minutes over low heat, covered.
Cooking vegetables
- 4
  While the tomatoes are cooking (or the night before, if you prefer), prepare the other vegetables.
  Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 4 pieces.
  Sprinkle them with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then
  cut the eggplants into thick slices.
- 5
  Wash and scrub the zucchini.
  Cut them lengthwise into quarters, then slice them into thick rounds.
- 6
  Wash the bell peppers and cut them in half.
  Remove the seeds, then cut them into strips a few centimeters long.
- 7
  In separate pans, sauté over low heat:
  - the eggplant (about 25 minutes),
  - the zucchini (about 15 minutes),
  - and the bell peppers (also 25 minutes).
  The vegetables should be tender and have lost most of their moisture, especially the eggplants.
Final cooking
- 8
  Add all the sautéed vegetables to the casserole dish.
  The Chef's Tip
  For maximum flavor, use a spatula to scrape up all the cooking juices from the vegetables.
  
  Season with salt and pepper, and add the bouquet garni.
  Cook 1 hour and 15 minutes covered over low heat.
- 9
  Simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes.
  Serve this traditional Niçoise ratatouille warm or cold.