An oven-roasted twist on classic French ratatouille, made with summer’s best vegetables and served over flavorful cauliflower couscous. Hearty, healthy, and perfect for meal prep.
Easy Roasted Ratatouille with Cauliflower Couscous (Oven-Baked & Meal Prep Friendly)
Summer into early fall is the ideal time to make ratatouille. Tomatoes are still juicy, zucchini is abundant, eggplant is at its peak, and sweet peppers are everywhere. While many ratatouille recipes involve simmering vegetables on the stovetop, this oven-roasted version is a hands-off, alternative that practically makes itself.
By roasting the vegetables, you bring out their natural sweetness and rich, caramelized flavor. Each vegetable transforms: the eggplant becomes silky, the zucchini tender, the peppers slightly charred, and the tomatoes burst with sweetness.
Best of all? This roasted ratatouille tastes even better the next day—making it a perfect make-ahead meal.
What Is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a traditional Provençal dish from the south of France made with a medley of summer vegetables—typically eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes—cooked with olive oil, garlic, and herbs.
There are a few common ways to make ratatouille:
🥄 Ratatouille: 3 Ways to Make It
| Method | Description |
| Stovetop Ratatouille (Traditional) | The traditional method, but also the most time-consuming. Each vegetable is sautéed separately to preserve its texture, then simmered together to meld the flavors. Delicious—but definitely more labor-intensive. |
| Baked Ratatouille (Tian Style) | Thinly sliced vegetables arranged in a spiral, like the famous version from the Ratatouille movie. Not a real ratatouille but a tian. Check out this recipe to see how it’s made. |
| Roasted Ratatouille (This Recipe) | Chopped vegetables are roasted together in the oven for a rustic, deeply flavorful version. This roasted version is simpler, less time-consuming, and requires minimal stirring or babysitting—perfect for busy weeknights or easy meal prep. |
Ingredients for Roasted Ratatouille
Here’s what you’ll need for this easy oven-baked ratatouille:
- Zucchini – Choose medium-sized zucchini; avoid overly large ones, which can be watery or seedy.
- Red Bell Peppers – Red adds sweetness, but yellow or orange peppers work too. Avoid green—they’re more bitter.
- Eggplant – Use a medium globe eggplant. No need to salt beforehand.
- Cherry Tomatoes – These roast beautifully and burst with sweetness. Grape tomatoes also work.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds depth.
- Olive Oil – Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Herbes de Provence – A classic French dried herb blend that complements the vegetables perfectly.
- Fresh Parsley – Adds a burst of freshness when sprinkled on before serving.
Optional Cauliflower Couscous (For Serving):
- Cauliflower – A whole head, chopped into florets, will be pulsed into couscous-like pieces.
- Coconut Oil – For roasting the cauliflower couscous with a subtle richness.
- Turmeric – Adds color and a warm, earthy flavor.
How to Make Roasted Ratatouille
🥘 Part 1: Oven-Roasted Ratatouille
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35–40 minutes
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the Veggies: Cut the zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers into evenly sized chunks. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Mince or slice the garlic.
- Toss with Oil & Herbs: In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, garlic, some of the olive oil, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Roast the Vegetables: Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
- Add the Tomatoes: Toss the halved cherry tomatoes with the remaining olive oil, then scatter them over the partially roasted vegetables. Roast for another 15–20 minutes, or until all veggies are tender and slightly caramelized.
- Finish & Garnish: Remove from oven. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
🌿 Part 2: Cauliflower Couscous (Optional)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15–20 minutes
Instructions
- Prep the Cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower into florets. Pulse in a food processor until it resembles couscous or rice.
- Season: Transfer to a bowl and toss with melted coconut oil, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
- Roast: Spread on a separate baking sheet and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly golden and fluffy.
- Serve: Spoon the roasted ratatouille over a bed of cauliflower couscous for a veggie-packed, grain-free meal.
Ratatouille Variations
- Add Chickpeas: Toss in a can of drained chickpeas with the tomatoes before roasting for added protein.
- Spicy Ratatouille: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or harissa paste for a bit of heat.
- Cheesy Finish: Sprinkle crumbled feta or goat cheese over the warm ratatouille before serving.
- Pasta or Polenta Base: Skip the cauliflower couscous and serve over cooked pasta or creamy polenta.
Tips for Success
- Don’t overcrowd the pan – Use a large sheet pan or two smaller ones to allow veggies to roast rather than steam.
- Cut vegetables uniformly – Even pieces cook more evenly.
- Stir halfway through roasting – Helps caramelize the vegetables evenly.
- Let it sit – Ratatouille gets better after resting. Make it ahead for even more flavor.
- Use ripe produce – The best ratatouille comes from vegetables at their peak.
Final Thoughts
Roasted ratatouille is more than just a way to use up end-of-summer vegetables—it’s a low-effort, high-reward dish that celebrates simple Mediterranean cooking. Whether you enjoy it warm out of the oven, cold from the fridge, or layered over cauliflower couscous, this simple recipe fits beautifully into busy weeknights, meal prep routines, or slow weekend meals.
It’s rustic, nourishing, and endlessly adaptable. So the next time your kitchen is overflowing with tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant, skip the stovetop and let the oven work its magic.
Make a big batch—you’ll be glad you did.
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More French Recipes:
Roasted Ratatouille with Cauliflower Couscous
This roasted ratatouille is an easier way to make ratatouille in the oven rather than on the stovetop.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Ratatouille:
- 2 medium zucchini, cut in half and again into thick slices
- 2 red peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛th teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes. halved
- 2 Tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
- Cauliflower couscous to serve
For the Cauliflower Couscous:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon, turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛th teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, garlic, salt, pepper, 1 ½ Tablespoons of the olive oil, and herbes de Provence in a large bowl and toss to combine. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet. Place tomatoes with the remaining ½ Tablespoon olive oil in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until finely chopped (about the size of couscous). Place cauliflower in a large bowl along with the coconut oil, turmeric powder, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Spread cauliflower couscous onto a baking sheet and place in oven. Roast for 15 minutes, stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes until light, fluffy and lightly toasted.
- Place the baking sheet with vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes, remove from oven, add halved cherry tomatoes and return to oven for another 15 minutes.
- Remove both sheet pans from oven and serve vegetables over couscous sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Notes
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 363Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 717mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 14gSugar: 17gProtein: 11g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Ewa says
This is my type of dish. I just wanted to stop by to say hi. I used to be Delishhh and then i had a family and things just got too busy so i stopped blogging for awhile and now i am back but as Carrots and Spice. I have been following you for years but i don’t comment much and just wanted to say hi.
Sylvie says
Hi Ewa, yes I remember, glad to see you blogging again!