Ratatouille Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

This mashup of classic French ratatouille and hearty shepherd’s pie from chef Gabriel Rucker features the best of both dishes. Instead of the usual meat filling, a vegetable-rich filling of sautéed eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash is cooked down in a tomato-wine sauce. It’s a smart way to showcase late-summer produce, but the recipe works year-round with sturdy grocery-store vegetables, canned tomatoes, and pantry herbs as well.

The vegetables then tuck under a fluffy blanket of buttery mashed potatoes that bake up crisp and golden at the edges, delivering the spoonable comfort you expect from shepherd’s pie. While a potato masher will get the job done, pass the potatoes through a ricer for a smoother and fluffier potato topping.

The ratatouille base can be cooked a day ahead so dinner comes together fast. Simply rewarm it, spread in a casserole dish, crown with warm mash, and bake until bubbling. The casserole also travels well for potlucks and reheats beautifully for lunches. For extra savoriness, fold grated Parmesan into the potatoes, finish with a shower of crisp breadcrumbs, or drizzle the top with good olive oil.

Want more protein? Stir white beans or lentils into the ratatouille, or serve with roasted sausage on the side for mixed eaters. However you customize it, the result is colorful, aromatic, and deeply saucy beneath that golden crust—the kind of weeknight dinner that feels special without extra fuss. Pair it with a simple green salad and a glass of red, and let the oven do the work.

Can you use store-bought mashed potatoes?

Yes — homemade mashed potatoes can be substituted with your favorite brand of store-bought mashed potatoes. Let the mashed potatoes come to room temperature and, if needed, thin with heavy cream before spreading over the vegetable filling. You can also use sweet potatoes or mashed parsnips in place of the Yukon gold potatoes.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Don’t rush the vegetable sautéing step — cooking them down properly concentrates their flavor and allows excess moisture to cook off, preventing a watery filling. 

Suggested pairing

Pair this twist on a classic with a juicy red from the south of France, like Bila-Haut Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon.

This recipe was developed by Gabriel Rucker; the text was written by Paige Grandjean.