Oven Baked Ratatouille
Ratatouille is usually prepared by quickly braising the vegetables in a large pan on the stove top. I prefer this version because roasting imparts a caramelised flavour to the vegetables.
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into bite sized chunks
- 2 zucchini, cut into chunks
- 1 large onion, cut into quarters
- 1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm chunks
- 6 roma tomatoes, halved
- 6 button mushrooms (halve if large)
- 10 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme
Method:
- Preheat oven to medium hot (200C)
- put all the ingredients into a large bowl or large freezer bag and turn over the vegetables until they are completely covered with oil
- arrange vegetables in a large baking dish preferably in a single layer
- roast for about 40 minutes, carefully turning over the vegetables a couple of times to prevent excessive browning.
- remove the sprig of rosemary or thyme and serve hot or warm.
Tips:
The Ratatouille is cooked when the vegetables start to collapse. You can continue baking past the initial 30 minutes until the tomatoes completely breakdown into a sauce. I have often added a can of chopped tomatoes about half way through baking for a wetter version.
This dish can be served with your choice of meat or pasta for a vegetarian meal. Garnish with grated Parmesan and flat leaf parsley or a couple of basil leaves.