ratatouille

noun

ra·​ta·​tou·​ille ˌra-ˌta-ˈtü-ē  -ˈtwē 

ˌrä-ˌtä-

: a seasoned stew made of eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, squash, and sometimes meat

Examples of ratatouille in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Chicken with rice and vegetables, ratatouille and pan-seared salmon are pregnancy-safe meals everyone will enjoy. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026

The Mizuna menu features a brie tartlet, chawanmushi, pasta with truffle cream and then your choice of steak frites, Chilean salmon, or ratatouille. —Libby Smith, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026

This collection spans timeless classics like ratatouille, salade niçoise, and croque monsieur, alongside modern, unfussy updates—think banana pudding–inspired Paris-Brest and coq au vin made in an Instant Pot. —Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Dec. 2025

The wide and shallow make of this casserole dish is a hefty $120 off and just the right vehicle for dishes that are better crisp—stuffings, mac and cheese, ratatouille, the list goes on. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "dish of chopped food, stew" (18th century), noun derivative crossing ratouiller "to agitate (water), stir, shake" and tatouiller "to shake, beat, handle excessively," both expressive forms of touiller "to stir," going back to Old French tooillier "to agitate, stir up, soil" — more at toil entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1877, in the meaning defined above