You can’t fail to have noticed there’s a lot of spring lamb in the shops right now and one of the nicest accompaniments to lamb is ratatouille so long as it’s made well. 

But the chances are your experience of this classic Mediterranean dish may have been a gloopy mess consisting of slimy aubergines and soggy courgettes which is enough to put you off for life!  If this is the case, I hope I can tempt you into trying my altogether healthier, quicker and easier version.

Where people tend go wrong with ratatouille is by using too much oil in the frying process – aubergines will soak it up like a sponge – and then go on to overcook the vegetables until they become mushy. In the main it’s the fault of the recipe they’re following which more often than not suggests cooking the vegetables for around an hour. 

In my rather unorthodox recipe all the vegetables are baked fast in a hot oven so they remain crisp, colourful and fresh tasting (apart from the soft, golden aubergines that is!) Another plus is this method is less laborious because you don’t have to stand at the stove frying everything in batches. I do hope you give it a go…

 

 

 

Serves: 2 as a main course 4 as a side dish
Preparation & Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Effort Level: Easy
Shelf Life: 2 days in fridge

Ingredients:
1 medium onion
3 fat cloves garlic
1 aubergine
1 courgette
1 red pepper
250ml passata
1 heaped tsp oregano
Olive oil

Equipment:
Chopping board and sharp knife
Medium saucepan
Food processor (optional)
Roasting tin

Here’s What You Do:
Preheat oven to 220C/ F/Gas

Finely chop the onion and garlic or blitz in the processor, then tip into a medium saucepan with a splash of olive oil and stir over a low heat for 3 minutes. Pour over the passata and sprinkle on the oregano then leave to simmer gently while you prepare the vegetables.

Take the aubergine and cut it lengthways into long slices 1cm thick – first slice off thinly the outer black skin and discard) – it should yield 4-5 slices.

Next, pour 3 tbsp olive oil into the roasting tin and dip the aubergine slices into the oil coating both sides and arrange in the tin.  Slide the tin onto the top oven shelf and leave to bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Now prepare the peppers and courgette. Cut down the middle of each pepper, scoop out the seeds, then flatten each half with the heel of your hand on the chopping board. Slice the peppers lengthways into thin strips then quarter turn and repeat widthways, cutting them into small dice.

Top and tail the courgette and cut in half lengthways. Slice each half into 4-5 long strips, quarter turn and slice widthways at ½ cm intervals into small dice.

Now turn the aubergines over and bake for a further 3-5 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool on the chopping board.

Next, tip the dice peppers and courgettes into the tin, drizzle with a little oil if needed and bake on the top oven shelf for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Season the tomato sauce with salt a little sugar – half a teaspoon should do it.

Stack the aubergine slices on top of one another and slice into bite size chunks, or if its easier snip them with a pair of scissors and tip them into the tomato sauce with the peppers and courgettes. Stir well and serve.
Voila!