Ratatouille is a fantastic end-of-summer dish, and this colorful, robust Weight Watchers Baked Ratatouille is just 1 point per serving, making it perfect in so many ways. If you’re anything like me, you love to find easier ways to make classic dishes— and maybe put your own spin on them, too.
This recipe is my own take on a confit byaldi version of ratatouille that’s easy enough for weeknights. The process is simple, and it is quicker than other methods since it uses canned crushed tomatoes in the sauce, and all of the fruit (yes, eggplant, tomatoes, and squash are all technically fruit) are baked in the oven simultaneously. I love the layered look because it really shows off the variety of ingredients and colors in the dish.
If you have little ones, they’ll love how this dish is similar in appearance to the one in the movie Ratatouille. You can even serve it in a towering pile like they do in the film; just don’t forget to scoop up some of the delicious sauce that’s underneath. The rich tomato sauce has hints of basil, thyme, and a dash of red pepper flakes, so it supplies the recipe with flavor that you don’t want to miss out on.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It can be a main or side dish. Ratatouille is very versatile. Enjoy a large serving of it with some crusty bread or pair it with baked chicken, pasta, rice, or other meats or starches.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser. Everyone will love the amazing qualities of this dish, both in looks and flavor! It is one of those dishes that seem so fancy (despite being easy to make) and will have everyone raving.
- It is suitable for many diets. This recipe is naturally vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free!
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 313g
- Number of Servings: 6
- Time to Cook: 1 hour
- WW Points Per Recipe: 1 point per serving, 7 for the entire recipe (Click here to view the recipe in the WW app. WW login is required)
Ingredients in Weight Watchers Layered Ratatouille
Weight Watchers Baked Ratatouille Tomato Sauce
- ½ medium yellow onion, small diced
- 1 medium Red pepper, small diced
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 16 oz Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ tsp Dried thyme
- 1 ½ tsp Dried basil
- ¾ tsp Salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 pinches Red pepper flakes
Top Layer
- 1 ¼ lb Eggplant, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins
- 1 large Zucchini, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins
- 1 large Yellow squash, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins
- 3-4 medium Tomatoes, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins
- ½ tbsp Olive oil
- As needed Salt and preferred seasonings
- As needed Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions for making Weight Watchers Baked Ratatouille
- As preparation, first, lay the eggplant and tomato slices out on paper towels. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and allow it to sit for 15 minutes minimum (before layering later on, wipe off excess salt/moisture from the surface). For the tomatoes, pat them dry with paper towels to get rid of extra moisture.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Start the sauce on the stovetop by sauteing the onion, garlic, and bell peppers in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Allow the onions to become translucent and the garlic to brown and turn fragrant. Next, add the dried herbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Allow the seasonings and veggies to cook for a few minutes. If the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tiny amount of water at a time to deglaze the pan.
4. Next, add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine all of the ingredients thoroughly. Cover and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes and give it a taste test. Adjust the seasoning. You want the sauce to have a very robust taste because it carries a lot of flavor in the dish.
5. Once the sauce is ready, spread it in the bottom of a large greased oven-safe dish. You can use a large casserole dish or other oven-safe cookware, like a 9×13 baking pan or a skillet.
6. On top of the tomato sauce, layer this sliced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes in a spiral pattern.
7. Brush the olive oil on the layered squash, tomatoes, and eggplant; sprinkle salt evenly on top of them. At this time, you can sprinkle additional herbs, black pepper, or other seasonings if you wish. Cover the dish with parchment paper. If you have a convection oven, you can also cover it with foil to prevent the parchment from flying off.
8. Bake the ratatouille for 30 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce below is bubbling. Allow it to rest so it can set. Garnish with fresh basil when serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- Eggplant type: You can use a globe eggplant or a Japanese eggplant, whichever is available to you. If using a globe eggplant, try to choose to pick a smaller one with a smaller circumference so the slices will look nice and round.
- Herbs: I used dried thyme and basil with some fresh basil for garnish. However, you can use entirely dried herbs or entirely fresh. It is up to you!
- Pasta Ratatouille: When serving the ratatouille, pile the layered ingredients on a bed of pasta. You can use angel hair, bowtie, penne, or whatever you have on hand. Pasta is a great way to add substance to the dish!
- Ratatouille with Sausage: Serve pork, chicken, or turkey sausage on the side. You can also use spicy sausage, which will pair wonderfully with all of the ingredients.
- Ratatouille with Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese on the ratatouille before baking, or garnish it with some parmesan for extra flavor.
- Ratatouille with Potatoes: You can use potato slices in the eggplant and squash layer if you wish. Keep in mind that potatoes often take longer to cook, so it helps to slice them very thinly. Chunky potatoes will result in uneven baking.
Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Ratatouille
- How to store leftover Weight Watchers baked ratatouille: move it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Instead of creating the pattern by picking and choosing slices one by one, it is easier to stack them in your hand and then fan them out in the casserole dish.
- If you’re short on time, you don’t need to salt the eggplant. It is an optional step, but I usually do it anyway to prevent any bitter undertones.
- Make sure to slice the zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and eggplant into similar-sized pieces so they will cook evenly.
Related Recipes
Weight Watchers Zucchini Casserole
Weight Watchers Eggplant Parmesan
Weight Watchers Baked Ratatouille
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- ½ medium yellow onion, small diced
- 1 medium Red bell pepper, small diced
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 16 oz Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ tsp Dried thyme
- 1 ½ tsp Dried basil
- ¾ tsp Salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 pinches Red pepper flakes, more to taste
Top Layer
- 1 ¼ lb Eggplant, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins (Use Japanese eggplant if you can find it. Or choose globe eggplants that are small in circumference)
- 1 large Zucchini, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins
- 1 large Yellow squash, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins
- 3-4 medium Tomatoes, sliced into ⅛ or ¼ inch coins
- ½ tbsp Olive oil
- As needed Salt and preferred seasonings
- As needed Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- As preparation, first, slice the eggplant and tomatoes. Lay all of these slices out on paper towels. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and allow it to sit for 15 minutes minimum (before layering later on, wipe off excess salt/moisture from the surface). For the tomatoes, pat them dry with paper towels to get rid of extra moisture.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. While the eggplant rests, start the sauce on the stovetop by sauteing the onion, garlic, and bell peppers in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Allow the onions to become translucent and the garlic to brown and turn fragrant.
- Next, add the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Allow the seasonings to cook in the vegetables for a few minutes (turn the heat down if needed). If the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tiny amount of water at a time to deglaze the pan.
- Next, add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine all of the ingredients thoroughly. Cover and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes and give it a taste test. Adjust the seasoning. You want the sauce to have a very robust taste because it carries a lot of flavor in the dish.
- Once the sauce is ready, spread it in the bottom of a large, greased oven-safe dish. You can use a large casserole dish or other oven-safe cookware, like a 9×13 baking pan or a skillet. On top of the tomato sauce, layer this sliced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes in a spiral pattern.
- Brush the olive oil on the layered squash, tomatoes, and eggplant; sprinkle salt evenly on top of them. At this time, you can sprinkle additional herbs, black pepper, or other seasonings if you wish. Cover the dish with parchment paper. If you have a convection oven, you can also cover it with foil to prevent the parchment from flying off.
- Bake the ratatouille for 30 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce below is bubbling. Allow it to rest so it can set. Garnish with fresh basil when serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
