Ratatouille 🇫🇷

 

This French dish is a bright and colourful way to present Mediterranean types of vegetable.  I use a combination of zucchini and button squash, baby eggplants, capsicums, cherry tomatoes and red onion.  They are panfried with olive oil, flavoured with garlic, dried thyme and fresh basil.    To retain their colour and crunch, I cook the eggplants together with the zucchini until lightly browned, then toss in the capsicums for a minute or so before removing and setting them aside.  In the same pan, the onions are cooked with garlic, tomatoes, a little tomato paste and water to form a sauce.  Everything then comes back together in the pan to simmer until the vegetables are heated through.  Serve it warm or at room temperature as a main with crusty bread.  Also good stirred into pasta, over polenta, mashed potatoes, quinoa or rice.  

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 180g / 6⅓oz baby eggplants, sliced into small rounds
• 350g / 12oz mixed zucchini and button squash, cut into small cubes
• 180g / 6⅓oz mixed colour capsicums, deseeded and sliced into small chunks
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes (optional)
• 200g / 7oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons shredded basil leaves

METHOD

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.  Add the eggplant and zucchini/squash and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until they are softened and starting to brown.  Add the capsicums and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.  Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté for until softened and golden, about 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and dried chilli flakes if using.  Continue to sauté for another minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and thyme.  Stir for 1 minute to combine the ingredients.   Add the water, sugar and salt.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down and a sauce begins to form.
4. Return the eggplant, zucchini/squash and capsicums to the pan.  Bring it to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables are heated through but still retain their colour and crunch.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
5. Garnish with shredded basil leaves.