Ratatouille
Roasted Mediterranean vegetables coated in a rich tomato sauce is the perfect way to use up sad-looking vegetables in your fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 white onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 200g tomatoes, roughly chopped (soft and ripe works best)
- 400g tin of tomatoes
- 4 sprigs of soft herbs, roughly chopped (oregano, basil, parsley)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 aubergine (alternatively use 8 flat mushrooms)
- 3 courgettes
- 3 bell peppers
Method
- Heat a heavy based saucepan, that has a lid, over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pan with a pinch of salt.
- Sweat the onions and half the garlic for 4-5 minutes until transparent and soft.
- Add the tomatoes, stir into the onions, and cook for a further 4 minutes so that the tomatoes begin to break down.
- Pour in the tin of tomatoes along with the chopped herbs and sugar. Stir well then place the lid on and turn the heat down to low.
- Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn鈥檛 catch.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 170掳C/Gas Mark 3/325掳F and prepare your vegetables.
- Slice the aubergines and courgettes into 1cm thick rounds and place into a large bowl. Roughly dice the peppers into 3cm squares and also place into the bowl.
- Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining oil, mix in the other 2 cloves of chopped garlic, and season with a large pinch of salt.
- In a large round oven-proof dish, arrange the vegetable slices, alternating between the three types.
- Place the dish in the oven and roast for 15 minutes until the vegetables are golden in colour.
- The tomato sauce should now be thick and rich in colour. Adjust the seasoning if necessary with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the roasted vegetables, making sure to cover all the vegetables, and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the dish from the oven. The vegetables should be soft and aromatic. This is best served alongside warm bread, rice, or couscous.
Recipe courtesy of Rowen Halstead for #FoodSavvy Norfolk & Suffolk