Tis the season of eggplant, zucchini, peppers and tomato. What better way to enjoy them all at once than in a delicious ratatouille!
Ratatouille is traditionally made by cooking all of the vegetables separately. I’m sure the results are fantastic, but who has that many pots? Never mind the time! Screw it – why not chuck all the veggies in the oven with some herbs and olive oil and PRESTO! Easy ratatouille with a blackened bonus. This stuff is good hot or cold and it only gets better with time. You can use leftover ratatouille in sandwiches, as pizza topping, in a salad, with pasta, or on its own. I love it with polenta and a simple green salad. Add a few chickpeas and you’ve got a well-rounded meal on your hands (or in your tummy). Good stuff.
I borrow my technique from the ever-talented Clotilde at Chocolate & Zucchini.
Roasted Ratatouille
This is even better with fresh rosemary and thyme – use 2 sprigs rosemary and 3 sprigs thyme.
– 2 onions, sliced
– 2 cloves garlic, sliced
– 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
– 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
– 2 green peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
– 16 cherry tomatoes
– 1 tsp dried rosemary
– 2 tsp dried thyme
– salt, pepper
– olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Combine the vegetables, herbs and a liberal dose of salt and pepper in an oven-proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil (about 2 Tbsp) and toss to ensure an even coating.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. At this point the vegetables should be cooked but not colored, and there should be cooking juices at the bottom of the pan.
Remove the foil and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the cooking juices have evaporated and the vegetables start to blacken.
Serve hot or cold.
your plated photo is gorgeous! And of course delicious looking.