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ratatouille served in a high lipped white round serving dish with two leaves of basil on top. Sliced baguettes to the side and a beige napkin curled around the dish
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Fool Proof Ratatouille

Fool proof Ratatouille is an absolute entertaining winner. It's totally make ahead and a perfect pairing for pretty much anything you want to throw it at the side of. It's really delicious and packed full of vegetables and french provencal flavours.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine French
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 66kcal
Author Apply To Face Blog

Ingredients

  • 1 large aubergine egg plant
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 large peppers
  • 2 medium courgettes zucchini
  • 400 grams chopped tomatoes tin
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1½ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 40 grams double concentrate tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp garlic puree 3 big cloves
  • 10 grams fresh basil chopped finely
  • extra sprigs of basil to decorate optional
  • 2 tsp olive oil
Metric - U S Customary

Instructions

  • Chop your vegetables into 2 cm cubes roughly. I use a vegetable chopper machine. Oh my days it blows my mind how easy it makes the whole chopping game. Otherwise chop carefully with a sharp knife.
  • Add the onions and aubergine to a large frying pan with a splash of olive oil (2tsp) or similar flavourless oil.
  • Fry uncovered over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
  • Add the chopped courgettes and stir through.
  • Cover and fry over a medium heat for another 5 minutes. Stir every now and again to stop any vegetables sticking to the bottom.
  • Add the 2 chopped peppers.
  • Stir through, cover and cook again for another 5 minutes. Stir once every minute just so it doesn't catch on the bottom.
  • Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, basil, sugar and balsamic vinegar.
  • Stir through and cook uncovered at a gentle simmer for 25 minutes. The liquid will have evaporated and the mixture started to become a bit jammy and melded altogether.
  • Serve straight away or allow to cool and refrigerate if making ahead.

Notes

  • Use a vegetable chopper to cut up all your vegetables. These things are easily available, inexpensive and a gamechanger when it comes to preparing food. So quick and no crying when chopping onions. I can't believe it's taken me so long to get one. Typical.
  • Try to not use over ripe vegetables here as they may be a little too mushy. The trick is to keep all the veg intact with a little mush at the edges so you can still have a little bite.
  • Add extra seasoning or garlic or basil to up the punchy flavours if you want. These extras are easy to add and you could even add a pinch of chilli flakes in there for some heat.
  • This is even better I think made ahead 24 hours and gently reheated.
  • Use leftovers for an easy midweek side to cheer everyone up

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 413IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg