Ratatouille French pronunciation: [ʁata'tuj] is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in County of Nice. The full name of the dish is ratatouille niçoise.

Ratatouille is a 2007 animated feature film produced by Pixar and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It tells the story of Rémy, a rat living in Paris who wants to be a chef.

County of Nice: Nissard Occitan: Nissa or Niça, is a city in southern France located on the Mediterranean coast, between Marseille and Genoa, with 986.903 inhabitants in the metropolitan area at the 2007 estimate. The city is a major tourist centre and a leading resort on the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur). It is the historical capital city of the County of Nice.

The word Ratatouille comes from "touiller," which means to toss food. Ratatouille originated in the area around present day Nice. It was, originally, a poor farmer's dish, prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables. The original Ratatouille Niçoise did not contain eggplant (which would not have been available during the same time period as the other vegetables used). Instead, it used only zucchini (courgettes), tomatoes, green and red peppers (bell peppers), onion, and garlic. The dish known today as Ratatouille adds eggplant (aubergine) to that mixture.

French ratatouille may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice, potatoes, or simple French bread). It is usually served as a meal in a lunch setting, with bread. It is often accompanied by a potato dish as a complement. It is most usually served as a side dish. Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, zucchini (courgettes), eggplant (aubergine), bell peppers (poivron), some herbes de Provence, and sometimes basil. All the ingredients are sautéed lightly in olive oil.

A well prepared Ratatouille requires cooking the vegetables in separate stages, and then combining for the last simmer. First, the eggplant is cut and sautéed at a mid-high heat until browned. It is then removed to a bowl lined with paper towels to drain. Next, the peppers are sautéed until just tender, and the zucchini, which cooks much faster, is added near the end of this sauté. These are removed to a bowl. The onion and garlic are then sautéed lightly. When they have cooked, the tomatoes are added. Seeds and peel are removed from the tomatoes before use. This mixture is cooked down until the tomatoes are soft and cooked. At that point, the zucchini and peppers are added. In a careful preparation, a separate casserole should be oiled lightly. Alternating layers of the eggplant, then the tomato/zucchini/pepper mixture, are put down. This is simmered for about ten minutes, while basting the top with the juices. Excess moisture is removed if necessary, but not the flavored oil.

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