Ratatouille is the sun-drenched vegetable stew of Provence, born in Nice from the abundance of the summer garden. Eggplant, courgette, peppers and tomatoes are cooked together with garlic and herbs until soft and fragrant — a dish that tastes even better the day after it’s made.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, diced
- 2 courgettes, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or a tin of chopped tomatoes)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Olive oil
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
- Fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion until softened.
- Add the eggplant and cook for 5 minutes, then add the peppers and courgettes, cooking each vegetable briefly before adding the next so they keep their texture.
- Stir in the garlic and tomatoes, along with the herbes de Provence.
- Season with salt and pepper, cover, and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are meltingly tender.
- Finish with torn fresh basil just before serving.
Ratatouille is wonderful warm as a side dish, at room temperature as a starter, or reheated the next day — the flavours only get better with time.
