Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage

This tasty Ratatouille with Sausage uses the same vegetables as the French vegetable stew called Ratatouille, plus chunks of Italian Sausage! And this Ratatouille Stew is absolutely delicious for an easy low-carb meal!

PIN the Ratatouille Stew to try it later!

For this week’s Friday Favorites post I’m sharing this recipe for Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage, and this has evolved through the years I’ve been blogging into a favorite late-season zucchini recipe for me! This tasty version of Ratatouille with sausage uses the same vegetables that are in the French stew called Ratatouille, plus chunks of Italian Sausage for protein!

Years ago I spotted a gorgeous recipe for Ratatouille on La Tartine Gourmande, and it inspired me to try my hand at making Ratatouille, adapting the recipe to the ingredients I had in my garden. Through the years I made this every summer and adapted the recipe a bit more every time.

Then more than 10 years later I updated this recipe, and this time I ventured from traditional Ratatouille even more, adding chunks of spicy Italian sausage to make this a complete meal. And we served the Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage with freshly-grated Parmesan on the side, which is definitely more Italian than French! 

And this was just so, so delicious, and zucchini season doesn’t last forever so I’m reminding you to make it while fresh zucchini is still plentiful! If you have garden zucchini, yellow summer squash, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs, this Ratatouille Stew is a wonderful way to use them!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• uncooked turkey or pork Italian sausage
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• zucchini
• yellow summer squash
• onion
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• red or yellow tomatoes
• yellow pepper
• red pepper
• fresh parsley
• Dried Oregano (affiliate link)
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil

How did Ratatouille become such a famous dish?

There’s no doubt that Ratatouille has been a famous summer stew in France for more than 50 years. But then along came a hugely-popular movie that made this dish even more famous!

Can you vary the ingredients for Ratatouille Stew with Sausage?

Ratatouille is a recipe where every French cook has their own variation, and you can adapt my ratatouille stew recipe to your own taste, using the ingredients you have on hand. Many people would want to add eggplant, which I didn’t use only because I had such a surplus of the other ingredients in my garden!

How low in carbs is this Ratatouille with Sausage?

Want more low-carb ideas for stew?

You can use Low-Carb and Keto Stew Recipes to find more ideas like this one. Or use 50 Amazing Zucchini Recipes to see lots more tasty ideas using zucchini!

How to Make Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Brown the sausage, then set aside to cool. (I used turkey Italian sausage, but you could certainly substitute higher-fat pork sausage if you prefer.)
2. Add a tiny bit more oil and cook the pieces of zucchini and yellow squash about 5 minutes, and put them in a bowl.
3. Add a bit more olive oil and cook the peppers, onions, and garlic a few minutes.
4. Then add tomatoes, gently combine vegetables, and cook about 5 minutes more.
5. Add yellow squash and zucchini back into the pan with parsley, Dried Oregano (affiliate link), salt, and pepper and simmer about 30 minutes over low heat.
6. Cut sausage into chunks and add it to the stew, with a bit more olive oil if desired, and simmer 30 minutes more, or until the sausage is cooked through.
7. Add sliced or chopped basil, season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and cook a few minutes  more.
8. I used my beloved Herb Scissors (affiliate link) to cut the basil.
9. Serve hot, with more thinly-sliced basil and freshly-grated Parmesan to add at the table if desired.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage could easily be a one-dish meal, but if you wanted a side dish I’d love this with Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan, or Roasted Turnips!

More Tasty Ways to Cook Zucchini and Summer Squash:

• Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme
• Zucchini and Yellow Squash Soup
• Roasted Summer Squash with Feta and Basil

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 6 servings

Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ratatouille Stew uses the vegetables that are in the French summer vegetable stew called Ratatouille, plus I add chunks of Italian Sausage for more protein! And this Ratatouille with Sausage is absolutely delicious for a low-carb meal.

Ingredients

• one 19.5 oz. package uncooked turkey Italian sausage (see notes)
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 zucchini, chopped medium
• 2 yellow summer squash, chopped medium
• 1/2 red onion, chopped small
• 2 T minced garlic
• 6 red or yellow tomatoes, chopped medium
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped medium
• 1 red pepper, chopped medium
• 3 T chopped fresh parsley (see notes)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped or sliced fresh basil, plus more to garnish the finished dish if desired

Instructions

1. Heat small amount of olive oil in large, heavy pan, add the Italian sausage, and cook over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned on all sides.
2. Set sausage aside to cool on a cutting board.
3. Then add a bit more oil, add zucchini and yellow squash to the pan, and cook about 5 minutes, until it’s starting to brown slightly.
4. Remove squash from the pan and set aside.
5. Add a bit more olive oil, then add peppers, onions, and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes to pan, gently combine the vegetables, lower heat to medium,  and cook 5 minutes more.
7. Add zucchini and yellow squash back into pan with parsley, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
8. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered about 30 minutes. (You can add a little more olive oil if desired.)
9. Cut the sausage into diagonal slices and add to the pan and cook about 30-45 minutes more.
10. When sausage is cooked through and stew is flavorful, add sliced or chopped fresh basil, season with sea salt and cook 5-10 minutes more.
11. Serve hot or room temperature, with more sliced basil and Parmesan cheese to add at the table if desired.
12. This will keep in the fridge for several days and reheats well.

Notes

I used my favorite turkey Italian sausage, but for Keto you could certainly substitute higher-fat pork sausage if you prefer.

You could use any fresh herbs that appeal to you for this recipe. I used my Herb Scissors (affiliate link) to cut the basil.

Recipe originally adapted from Ratatouille by Bea of La Tartine Gourmande.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 325Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 89mgSodium 803mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 5gSugar 9gProtein 27g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage is a great choice for low-carb or Keto diets. You may want to use pork sausage and maybe slightly fewer tomatoes for Keto. It’s also great for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, which would prefer the leaner turkey Italian sausage.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Zucchini Recipes or Stews to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
I first posted my version of Ratatouille in 2006 and through the years it evolved into this dish that included Italian Sausage, which is definitely not traditional, but oh so delicious! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

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