Ratatouille

This recipe is part of my food-in-film series, inspired by the movie Ratatouille. Having made various versions before, I wasn’t expecting much. Previous attempts cut too many corners, but this dish proves that simplicity requires effort. The most time-consuming part is the slicing and chopping, but it’s oddly therapeutic. The result? A simple yet incredibly tasty dish.

Ratatouille
Ratatouille

Serves 4

Hands-on Time 30 minutes

Cooking Time 1 hour 25 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 1 onion

  • 1 red pepper

  • 1 yellow pepper

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 60–80ml olive oil (plus extra for cooking)

  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

  • 1 aubergine

  • 2 courgettes

  • 4 large tomatoes

  • Fine salt

  • 1/2 bunch basil

  • 1/2 bunch parsley

  • 12 sprigs thyme

Equipment

  • Knife

  • Chopping board

  • Frying pan

  • Spatula

  • Serrated knife

  • Bowl

  • Spoon

  • Baking parchment

  • Scissors

  • Deep-sided oven-proof dish (approx. 30cm wide)

Method

1. Prepare the base sauce

  • Peel and dice the onion. Deseed and dice the peppers. Finely dice the garlic.

  • Heat a glug of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft.

  • Add the diced peppers and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tinned tomatoes. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Prepare the vegetables

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C (fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

  • Slice the aubergine, courgettes, and fresh tomatoes into 5mm-thick discs. Sprinkle with fine salt.

3. Make the herby oil

  • Finely chop the basil, parsley, and thyme leaves.

  • Mix the herbs with 60ml olive oil in a bowl. Add more oil if needed—it should be wet but not floating in oil.

4. Assemble the ratatouille

  • Spread the tomato and pepper mixture evenly over the bottom of the oven-proof dish.

  • Arrange the sliced aubergine, courgettes, and tomatoes vertically around the dish, alternating between vegetables.

  • Drizzle half of the herby oil over the top.

  • Cover the dish with a piece of baking parchment.

5. Bake the ratatouille

  • Bake on the middle shelf for 60 minutes.

  • Remove from the oven and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Discard the parchment.

6. Serve

  • Drizzle the remaining herby oil over the ratatouille before serving.

Tips

  • For a twist, add a pinch of chilli flakes to the herby oil.

  • Serve with crusty bread or as a side to grilled meat or fish.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille
Ratatouille