This easy baby-friendly oven roasted ratatouille is a delicious recipe the whole family will enjoy when summer's vegetable harvest is overflowing, and the texture is perfect for baby led weaning and toddlers. It's a great dish for introducing tons of veggies to little ones! (vegan, gluten-free)
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
Baby-Friendly Roasted Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a classic French dish of summer vegetables stewed or slow cooked with herbs and olive oil until soft and creamy. It typically includes the abundant summer vegetables: tomatoes, summer squash and/or zucchini, eggplant (aubergine), peppers, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs.
This baby-friendly ratatouille (inspired by Alexandra's Kitchen) is roasted in the oven for simplicity, and the end result is a super flavorful, tender dish that lands somewhere between a stew, a sauce, and a casserole. The long, thin pieces of soft, caramelized vegetables are perfect for baby led weaning, but you can also chop or blend them up for babies and toddlers of all ages.
Jump to:
Ingredients
The great thing about ratatouille is that it's so flexible. Use what you have and don't worry too much about precise amounts. It's perfect for using up an abundance of summer veggies! Here's what you'll need:
- Yellow summer squash, zucchini, or both - I used a bit of each here.
- Eggplant - I found a very small one which was perfect. Otherwise, you'll only need about half of an eggplant or even less.
- Bell pepper - Use red pepper or another sweet pepper (orange or yellow).
- Onion - I love the color and sweetness of red onion, but any will work.
- Tomato - If you have a big, juicy tomato, use it. If not, a couple of plum tomatoes or even canned tomatoes will work.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is a must!
- Fresh herbs - I used a combination of basil, oregano and thyme. If you just have one or two of those, no problem! You can also use dried herbs or even Herbs de Provence.
- Olive oil - You'll need plenty of good olive oil for the best texture and flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar - Balsamic vinegar helps the veggies caramelize and become super sweet.
- Salt and pepper - Go easy on the salt (or leave it out if you prefer) if you're serving this to babies under 1 year of age.
Helpful Equipment: a big cutting board, a sharp knife, and a large baking dish (such as a 9 x 13").
Step By Step Instructions
For the detailed printable recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cut your vegetables. Cut the zucchini, squash, and eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice ¼ to ½" thick on the diagonal to make long, thin half-moons. Thinly slice the red pepper and onion. Dice the tomato and mince the garlic and herbs.
- Toss everything together in a big baking dish. I used my hands to make sure it got all mixed up together. If you're using a little extra veggies, drizzle in a little extra olive oil for good measure.
- Roast at 400°F for 1-2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. If things start to look too dry, add another little drizzle of oil, or cover with foil for a little while to get things nice and steamy. You want a juicy texture, not crispy roasted veggies. Keep cooking until the veggies are broken down, creamy and soft.
Tips and Recipe Variations
- Don't worry about precision with the amounts. Just use what you have! If you use a little extra, just add a little more herbs, oil and vinegar. (You might need a bigger baking dish, though!)
- If you want your ratatouille really creamy and sauce-like, you can roast it for up to 3 hours. Keep stirring every 30 minutes or so.
- While I like the long, thin slices for baby led weaning babies, feel free to chop up your vegetables if you little ones are a bit older.
- Feel free to swap out the fresh herbs with dried. I like a combination of basil, oregano and thyme. You can also use Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning in a pinch.
- If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned. Use about 1 cup or diced tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes (chop or break them up with your hands).
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. You can reheat ratatouille on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave until warmed through. You can also stir it directly into hot pasta or spread it onto bread for a delicious sandwich!
What To Serve With Ratatouille
Roasted ratatouille can be a vegetarian main dish served on it's own with bread and a salad, spooned over polenta or your favorite cooked grains, or stirred into pasta. It can also be a side dish that's delicious with grilled steak, chicken or fish, or with meatballs.
How To Serve Ratatouille To Babies 6 Months and Up
For baby led weaning babies 6 months and up who do not yet have a pincer grasp, keep the pieces big and let baby scoop them up with a fist. You can also stir it into pasta (these are the best baby-friendly pastas) or spread it onto lightly toasted bread fingers.
For spoon-fed babies not yet in the finger food stage, you can easily blend the ratatouille up into a puree (add liquid as needed) and spoon feed.
For older babies and toddlers with a pincer grasp, you can chop ratatouille into smaller pieces and/or offer utensils for practice. You can also finely chop or puree it into a pasta sauce for picky eaters. Just stir into hot cooked pasta.
Track your baby's journey through starting solids! Get my 100 First Foods Checklist and Allergen Checklist Bundle today!
Roasted Ratatouille (Baby Friendly)
This easy baby-friendly oven roasted ratatouille is a delicious recipe the whole family will enjoy when summer's vegetable harvest is overflowing, and the texture is perfect for baby led weaning and toddlers. It's a great dish for introducing tons of veggies to little ones! (vegan, gluten-free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 small yellow squash
- 1 very small eggplant, or ½ medium
- 1 medium bell pepper
- ½ medium onion
- 1 large tomato, or 2 plum/roma tomatoes
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram), or 1.5 teaspoon dried
- 3-4 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Cut the vegetables. Cut squash, zucchini and eggplant in half down the center then slice thinly (¼ to ½" thick) on the diagonal into half moons. You want long, thin pieces. Thinly slice the pepper and onion. Dice the tomato and mince the garlic and herbs.
- Mix all ingredients together well in a large baking dish (9 x 13" or larger).
- Roast for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. If you want your ratatouille really saucy and broken down, you can cook for 3 hours and/or cover with foil for the end of cooking.
- Serve with polenta, pasta, your favorite grain, or any other way you prefer.
Notes
- For spoon fed babies or for toddler pasta sauce, you can puree after cooking, adding liquid as needed.
- Don't worry about precise amounts too much. Just use what you have.
- You can use 2 squash or zucchini instead of 1 of each. You can sub 1 cup canned tomatoes for the fresh tomatoes. You can use dried herbs in place of fresh.
- If you are serving to little ones under 1 year, go easy on the salt or omit it altogether if you like.
- If your ratatouille is looking dry, add a little more olive oil as needed.
- Recipe inspired by Alexandra's Kitchen.
Leave a Reply