A typical French dish – in particular from Provence, with Nice leading the way, where it is known as “ratatouille niçoise” – ratatouille is a delicious and colourful vegetable side dish made in many different versions, which mainly differ in the vegetables used and how they are cut and cooked.
In the version we offer here, the vegetables are sliced and baked. Ready? Steady? Cook!
Ingredients for 4 people
Potatoes, 200 g
Courgettes, 200 g
Aubergines, 200 g
Tomatoes, 200 g
Yellow peppers, 200 g
Onion, 100 g
Tomato passata, 300 ml
Extra virgin olive oil, 6 tablespoons
Fresh basil, a few leaves
Fresh thyme, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Clean the onion, chop it finely and then fry it in a non-stick pan in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. When it starts to turn golden brown, pour in the tomato passata, salt and pepper and cook it over a medium heat for about twenty minutes. Once cooked, add a few leaves of fresh basil.
Now start preparing the vegetables: wash the potatoes, peel them and then dry them; wash and dry the courgettes, aubergines, peppers and tomatoes too. Cut them evenly so you get slices 1-2 cm thick. Put everything in a bowl and season it with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, thyme and salt, taking care to stir it carefully so you spread the condiments around evenly. Pour the tomato passata into the bottom of an ovenproof dish and arrange the sliced vegetables by alternating them until you create an outer circle and then an inner one. Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and bake in a preheated conventional oven at 180°C for 40 minutes. Take it out of the oven, leave it to cool down and decorate with a few leaves of fresh basil.
Image by LauriPatterson from Istockphoto.