Ratatouille, as you may already know, thanks to a very talented little chef mouse, is a classic French dish that is packed with the flavors of fresh vegetables. The combination of eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes gives Ratatouille a rich and flavorful taste. This delicious dish comes together in just 40 minutes, which makes it yet another wonderful plant-based weeknight dinner. It goes well with crusty bread or over a bed of rice or pasta.
🍽 Serves 4-5 🕘 40 minutes Difficulty: Beginner
Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
3 capsicums/ bell peppers, I used red and yellow
1 red onion
2 courgettes
4 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp of French herbs/herbs de Provence
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
Fresh basil
Instructions:
Prepare the ingredients. Chop the vegetables into bite-size cubes. Mince the garlic. Roughly dice the onion. Cut the eggplant last – to prevent browning.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan. Add eggplant to well heated oil. Season well with salt and sauté for a approx. 10 minutes. Set aside. Repeat the process with courgette - add 1/2 Tbsp of French herbs.
In the meantime, prepare the base sauce in a large frying pan, heat a little bit of oil over medium heat. Add red onion, capsicum/bell peppers, and minced garlic. Season with salt and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, and ½ Tbsp of French herbs/herbs de Provence. Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Incorporate the eggplant and courgette into the sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add chopped fresh basil and gently stir.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
