Easy 1-Dish Ratatouille

Over the Summer I’ve had a bit of an eggplant fetish happening. I wish I could say that it was from all the eggplant in my garden but the sad truth is my 3 tiny aubergine were mauled by possums before they were ripe. 

One of my fave ways to prepare eggplant is this super simple ratatouille. Gotta love a dish you just chop some veg, set your timer and let the oven do the rest!

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Easy 1-Dish Ratatouille

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 2 red capsicum (bell pepper)
• 2-3 zucchini (courgette)
• 1 large eggplant (aubergine) or 2 medium
• 1 tablespoon sherry or wine vinegar
• 1 bunch basil or parsley, to serve
• aioli or mayo, to serve

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Chop veg into 2cm (1in) chunks. Place veg in a large roasting pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss to mix. Sprinkle with salt.
• Roast veg for 45-50 minutes. Stirring once or twice.
• When all the veg are soft, remove from the oven toss in the vinegar. Taste and season with more salt and /or vinegar if needed.
• Toss through herbs and serve hot or at room temp with a big dollop of aioli or mayo.

Variations

short on time – pan fry veggies in oil until soft instead of roasting. Or increase oven temp to 250C (480F). Check and stir after 20 minutes. Should take about 30 total.

different veg – finely chopped onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes or diced tomato, fennel or summer squash. Or even some mushrooms for a bit of Autumn flavour.

caponata – replace the zucchini and capsicum with an extra eggplant and finely chopped onion. Toss in toasted pine nuts to serve.

more substantial (carb-lovers) – toss in cooked pasta, quinoa or brown rice and serve with grated Parmesan. Or you could serve with crusty baguette.

more substantial (low carb) – extra aioli. Serve with roast macadamias or walnuts and a fried egg.

carnivore – add cooked chicken, bacon, sausages or chorizo.

more substantial –  add some protein! Cooked chicken or sausages or chorizo are great. Or try  a poached egg, grilled Halloumi, salty feta, a handful of nuts or cooked beans or legumes for vegetarians.

favourite lunch – toss in a drained can of sardines or tuna and serve on a bed of salad leaves.

keto / ultra low carb – replace peppers with baby spinach tossed in at the end.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

red capsicum (bell peppers) – keep in the fridge for a few weeks. For longer grill and store in an airtight jar under oil. Or freeze them.

zucchini – will keep for 2 weeks or longer in a plastic bag in the fridge. To keep it even longer, cook sliced zucchini in a little butter until just soft then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

eggplant – will keep for a few weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. For longer, sliced and rub with oil and grill until soft and browned. Can be frozen if needed.

sherry or red wine vinegar – keep it in the pantry.

basil – make basil oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil. Or you can freeze the leaves, they’ll wilt but will still be delicious.

parsley – will keep in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag for a few weeks. Can be frozen or make a parsley oil by packing the leaves into a clean jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil.

Problem Solving Guide

bland – more salt. and possibly more vinegar. if it still needs more add a drizzle of hot sauce, chilli oil or a sprinkling of a favourite spice.

too dry – More mayo or a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

no oven – pan fry each of the veg separately in a frying pan or wok.

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the herbs and aioli / mayo separately. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen.