Meanwhile, make a simple tomato sauce on the stovetop. Stir the roasted vegetables into the simmering tomato sauce as they’re ready. BELL PEPPERS - I used red peppers, you may use another colour although green peppers can be bitter. This recipe is a little different. We’re going to roast the vegetables until they’re deliciously caramelized on the edges and a little dehydrated (no squeaky or mushy zucchini here). Then, we’ll add those perfectly roasted veggies to a simmering fresh tomato sauce. CHERRY TOMATOES - I used tinned cherry tomatoes, but if you can't get hold of them tinned chopped tomatoes will be fine. Now put the whole lot into a colander, sprinkle generously with salt, press them down with a suitably sized plate and put weights (or other heavy objects) on top of the plate. Let them stand for about 1 hour – the salt will draw out any bitterness along with excess moisture.

Although, until recently, most Provençal kitchens are unlikely to have boasted an oven, ratatouille, as we have noted, is not a dish with much history, so Nigel Slater's recipe, which cooks the vegetables separately and then bakes them for 40 minutes with sliced tomatoes, seasoning and thyme, seems like the perfect solution to the insipidness of my previous attempts. This is another style of ratatouille altogether – and more like a very superior roasted vegetable medley for my taste, although it comes into its own cold the next day. But surely ratatouille ought to have some sort of sauce? The modern version For those of us who want ratatouille in our regular dinner rotation, here's an extremely easy, no-fail ratatouille recipe that's so good it's the only ratatouille recipe you will ever need! Ratatouille Serve: If you have time, cover and allow the ratatouille to rest in its warm pot for 1 hour or so before serving. When you’re ready to serve, ladle into bowls. Optionally, top each with a sunny side up egg and pass around some crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy warm, at room temperature, cold, any which way! Fresh tomatoes - Although tinned tomatoes make up most of the tomatoes in this dish, we like to add some fresh for some extra flavour and texture. When choosing tomatoes, I say anything goes. If it’s growing in your garden, toss it in there; you’ll have a nicer flavor overall. When I use smaller tomatoes, like cherry or pear, I rarely slice them, preferring to let them pop on their own as they cook. We’ll be making a bouquet garni for our ratatouille. Fresh is best! Plus bouquet garni are so pretty.

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Spread the sauce on the bottom of an oven dish, then arrange the sliced vegetables on top. Mix the remaining clove of garlic with the extra virgin olive oil and thyme leaves, season and sprinkle over the top. Cover tightly with foil, and put in the oven for 2 hours until the vegetables are tender to the point of a knife.

Salt is your friend. Please taste your ratatouille and salt liberally. It’s the difference between uh-may-zing and a jar full of bland vegetables. Bell peppers - We used red and yellow, for a nice pop of bright colour and because they are sweet. However, green and orange will work in this ratatouille too. Seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika, and dried rosemary bring an aromatic quality to the vegetable stew. I use typically sweet Spanish paprika from our spice shop, but smoked paprika would also be delicious.

Essential kit

Heat the oven to 230C, cut the peppers in half, removing the seeds and pith, and place them cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes until the skin has blistered, then remove and leave to cool, turning the oven down to 140C.

An accompaniment for fish (6 minute dinner!) – Literally the fastest meal ever. I just pan-fried a piece of fish and piled over the Ratatouille. Think of it as a salad, side and salsa sauce all in one! So good! I will unashamedly admit to being ignorant of ratatouille until the Disney Pixar movie came out. Don’t worry, though; I’ve made up for lost time over the years, easily eating my own body weight in this hearty veggie stew. Ratatouille, pronounced “rat-uh-too-ee,” came long before the totally heartwarming–some might say life-changing–animated movie. The flavorful and vibrant vegetable stew has deep roots in the culinary traditions of Provence, a region in the south of France. Renowned for its rustic simplicity and ability to capture the essence of summer in each bite, it showcases the bountiful produce of the Mediterranean.

Ingredients

Vegetables grow in abundance here, and many of the area’s most famous dishes make the most of them. Nicoise salade, soupe au pistou (vegetable soup with pesto), pissaladiere (onion and anchovy “pizza”) and olive tapenade are just some of Provence’s greatest vegetable-driven hits (recipes coming one day, I promise 😂)! Wondering what to serve with ratatouille? The options are endless! We love serving it over our Easy Vegan Polenta or Easy Gluten-Free Pasta, but it’s also delicious served alongside The Best Vegan Grilled Cheese or with a hearty piece of Easy Homemade Wheat Bread.It could also be served over cauliflower rice, rice, quinoa, millet, or your favorite grains! More 1-Pot Summer Recipes Ratatouille turns basic vegetables into magic. Even if you don’t typically love eggplant or summer squash, I bet you’ll enjoy this ratatouille. The French know how to cook, and this concept is definitely one to follow. Ratatouille combines a large volume of late-summer vegetables that have different cook times. If you tried to throw them all into a pot at once, none of the veggies would have a chance to caramelize, the eggplant would fall apart by the time the zucchini is tender, and your ratatouille would probably never meet its full potential.

Add oil to a large heavy lidded pot or dutch oven and set the pot on the stove over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant and zucchini. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and start to brown, about five minutes. You’ll find the full rundown in the recipe below. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe—it’s not hard. Here’s the gist: The ratatouille itself is naturally gluten-free and you can use your favourite gluten-free pasta to make this dish.This ratatouille begins with cooking cubed eggplant in a pot with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to allow it to release moisture and soak up flavor. Ok, one more reason to love ratatouille—you can serve it so many different ways! Here are a few ideas: Like my Roasted Vegetable Salad, this easy Ratatouille recipe uses classic Mediterranean produce. Thankfully, the same ingredients are easy to find in just about any grocery store. The vegetable stew is best in the warmer months when eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini are at their most vibrant. Consider doubling and freezing if you have a large enough pot.