Ratatouille
By Lisa Faulkner
Published on 17 February 2023
This version of the classic
Ratatouille is MasterChef winner Lisa Faulkner’s mum’s trusted recipe.
Make a big batch and freeze portions to eat again another day. It also makes a
great pasta sauce second time round, as the veg turns soft and silky as it
defrosts. The combination of Mediterranean vegetables in a rich tomato sauce is
delicious with crusty bread, or piled into jacket potatoes. Time and servings
1 hr 10 minsTotal time
12Servings
10 minsPrep time
1 hrCooking time
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 large aubergines, chopped into chunks
- 4 courgettes, sliced
- 2 red peppers, sliced
- 2 yellow peppers, sliced
- 16 ripe tomatoes, halved
- 400 ml of passata
- 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 6 sprigs of thyme
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish (or 2 if necessary) and fry the sliced onions over a medium heat for about 10 mins, or until softened. Add the garlic, aubergines, courgettes, peppers and tomatoes and cook for a few mins, stirring well. Once the vegetables have just started to soften, add the passata, balsamic vinegar and thyme sprigs and season to taste with salt and black pepper.Step 2
Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid or foil, then cook in the oven for 30-40 mins until the vegetables are softened but not mushy. Serve with crusty bread or jacket potatoes, with a grinding of black pepper on top. You can freeze as portions in bags, or in a large airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge; reheat on the hob or in the microwave.