Please don't believe your tastebuds if the only ratatouille you've tried is from Nando's. Packed with vegetables, I've roasted them here and added balsamic vinegar for a deeper flavour. Great stand alone dish with sourdough or just as a side, baked with an egg (see photo slides, below), stirred through quinoa on top of a salad, eaten hot, cold, fresh or from frozen
...the possibilities are far greater than the $6 fino palm-sized portion will ever have you believe
Total time to make : 50 minutes Time to prep : 10 minutes
Time to cook : 40 minutes
Servings : 4 as a main, 6 as a side
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 yellow onion
2 peppers ( I used 1 red, 1 yellow) diced into cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 aubergine, diced into cubes
2 courgette, diced into cubes
1 tbsp thyme (dried or fresh, leaves plucked)
2 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
handful of fresh basil
salt/pepper to season
Method
Preheat fan oven to 200C
On a lined baking tray, evenly spread out the diced aubergine and courgette. Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and add a generous pinch of salt and the thyme. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add onion, garlic and diced peppers. Cook, stirring often until softened and the onion is translucent (10 - 12 minutes). Remove from the heat until the vegetables in the oven have finished roasting
Once roasted, add the aubergine and courgette into the saucepan and add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on
Remove from the heat, stir in balsamic, sugar and tear in a handful of basil. Stir to combine then test for seasoning, adjust as necessary
See 'good to know' below on storage and serving suggestions, ratatouille flavours develop over time so it's often even better after a day or two
Nutritional Information
(for 4 large servings/as a main dish)
245 calories
6g protein, 26g carbs, 14g fat
Good to know:
Serve on it's own with toasted sourdough or torn pitta. Pile on top of a quinoa salad or baked potato, stir through pasta or use as a base to bake eggs in. Use as a simple side dish to increase your nutrients and vegetables. Can be eaten warm or cold
To store, allow to come to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months
Vegetarian, vegan, GF and DF