Ratatouille
A colourful, oven-baked ratatouille that looks impressive without trying too hard. The perfect comforting classic.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 –2 large zucchini
- 1 –2 long eggplant
- 1 large yellow capsicum
- 1 large red capsicum
- 4 Roma tomatoes
Tomato & Herb Sauce
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small French shallots or 1 small onion finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves finely diced
- ½ tsp sea salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- 400 g passata
- Capsicum offcuts tops and bottoms work perfectly, you can also add in other veg offcuts here too
- ¼ cup water
- 5 –6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 basil leaves
- 1 bay leaf
To finish
- 1 Tbsp olive oil for drizzling
- Extra fresh thyme leaves
- Pinch of sea salt
- Optional garnish: Chives and parsley leaves
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- Slice the zucchini, eggplant, capsicum and tomatoes into thin rounds.
- You can use a mandolin or a sharp knife. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but try to keep them even.
- TIP: Save all vegetable offcuts to use in the sauce.
Make the sauce
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add shallots and garlic and cook gently until soft and fragrant.
- Stir in salt, pepper, passata, capsicum/vegetable offcuts, water, thyme, basil and bay leaf.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes, until everything has softened.
- Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf (basil can stay).
- Blend with a stick blender or blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Assemble
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce over the base of a medium baking dish, oven-safe skillet or shallow pan.
- Arrange the sliced vegetables upright in a spiral or neat rows over the sauce.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and thyme leaves.
- Cover loosely with baking paper.
Bake
- Bake for 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelised.
Serve
- Serve warm with extra sauce spooned over the top.
- Finish with chives and parsley if using.
Notes
This dish includes 7 different vegetables, making it a great example of easy plant diversity
A simple, comforting classic that pairs with almost anything
Delicious with roast chicken, grilled fish, slow-cooked meats or crusty bread
Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day
Excess sauce can be frozen
A simple, comforting classic that pairs with almost anything
Delicious with roast chicken, grilled fish, slow-cooked meats or crusty bread
Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day
Excess sauce can be frozen
