Background
Ratatouille is a basic French vegetable stew which can be served as a main or side dish. The main ingredients are tomatoes, aubergine, bell pepper and courgette, gently sautΓ©ed with onion, garlic and herbs. Itβs a very popular and easy dish to make, so there are thousands of βbestβ recipes Β -Β to be honest you canβt go wrong with this basic version. If you want it stew-like, use tinned tomatoes; if you want it more like sautΓ©ed veggies, then use tomato purΓ©e (the later is the original Provencal version). You can use other dried herbs too, such as marjoram or herbes de Provence . Serve it with crusty bread or boiled rice - alternatively it goes well with grilled fish or meat. The thicker version makes perfect topping for puff pastry tarts &pizzas -Β and if you blitz it, you'll get an excellent vegan dip or sandwich spread.
Ingredients
- 2 red or yellow peppers
- 1 medium aubergine
- 1 large courgette
- 1 red onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Leaves of 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 1 tin plum tomatoes ( or 2 Tbsps. tomato purΓ©e)
- 1 handful of fresh basil or flat parsley leaves
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Cut the courgette, red pepper and aubergine into cubes. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Pick the basil/parsley leaves and set them aside, then thinly chop the stalks.
- In a large casserole dish, heat some olive oil and stir the aubergine pieces for 5 minutes, then set aside. Then cook the courgette pieces for 3 minutes and set aside. Then cook the pepper pieces for a couple of minutes and set aside. Itβs important not to overcook the veggies.
- Heat another spoonful of and add the onion slices. Gently sautΓ© them for 5 minutes, then add the thyme leaves (or dried herbs of your choice), the chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic and the vinegar. If the tomatoes are not ripe, add a small spoonful of sugar. Cook over medium heat until sticky (for about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the tinned tomatoes or tomato purΓ©e, let it bubble for a few seconds, then return the fried aubergine, courgette and red pepper. Season to taste.
- Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the sauce is thick and sticky. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve with chopped basil or parsley leaves scattered on top.
Categories
- Meal Type: - Budget - Everyday - Lunch - Main - Seasonal - Side - Supper
- Cuisines: - French
- Ingredients: - Other Vegetables
- Health and Diet: - 5:2 Diet - Combination - Dairy Free - Detox - Diabetic - Egg Free - Gluten Free - Healthy - High Fibre - Low Calorie - Low Carb - Low Cholestrol - Low Fat - Low GI - Nut Free - Sugar Free - Vegan
- Skill Levels: - Easy
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