Eggplant Ratatouille Pasta

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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