Provençal Summer Ratatouille
Season: Summer · Serves: 4–6 · Diet: Vegan · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 50 min
A proper ratatouille — the kind that cooks each vegetable separately, builds flavour through caramelization, and takes its time — is one of the most satisfying summer dishes. It's equally good warm, at room temperature, or cold from the refrigerator the next day. The quality of the tomatoes and olive oil matters here more than in most recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1 × 400g tin whole tomatoes)
- 1 × 400g tin crushed tomatoes
- 5 tbsp good olive oil, total
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh basil and extra olive oil to finish
Method
1. Salt the eggplant cubes generously and let them sit in a colander for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Rinse and pat completely dry.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in your pan over high heat. Sear the eggplant in a single layer until golden on most sides, about 5–6 minutes. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the zucchini (2–3 minutes) and the peppers (3–4 minutes), using 1 tbsp oil each time. Set each aside. This step is what gives ratatouille its depth.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onion. Cook 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic and thyme and cook 2 minutes more.
4. Add the tomato paste if using, then both lots of tomatoes and the bay leaves. Simmer 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
5. Return all the seared vegetables to the pan. Stir gently to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the flavours have merged.
6. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finish with torn fresh basil and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Julien Tip
The extended tomato cooking in this recipe is fine in a well-seasoned pan for the time involved, but if your pan is new or lightly seasoned, switch to a stainless or enameled cast iron pan for the final sauce stage. In summer, use the ripest tomatoes you can find — the dish scales directly with their quality.
