Whenever I see the word ‘ratatouille’ (pronounced ‘ra-ta-too-ee’), I will be reminded of Pixar’s animated film of the same name. That, by the way, is quite an entertaining film as it depicts the story of a rat named Remy who dreams to become a chef. 🙂
A ratatouille is actually a French stewed vegetable dish consisting of an assortment of vegetables that are sauteed with olive oil and herbs and then simmered and/or baked in the oven. It makes an ideal vegetarian casserole that you can enjoy on its own or as a side dish to your main. I like to add grated cheddar cheese on top to give it a nice cheesy crust but you don’t have to if you want to keep this light. Enjoy!
Baked Ratatouille Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 red onions, peeled & cut into thick slivers
2 yellow onions, peeled & cut into thick slivers
3 cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded & cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large eggplant, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
5 sticks celery, cut into bite-sized pieces
400g can chopped tomatoes
200ml water
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
50g cheddar cheese, grated
sea salt
Instructions
1. Heat oil in pan and saute the onions and garlic.
2. Add red peppers, eggplant, carrot, celery and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and sprinkle the oregano on top. Allow to simmer for about 20-25 minutes till vegetables are tender.
5. Preheat oven to 190 deg C with fan.
6. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a casserole dish and sprinkle the cheese evenly on top.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 5-7 minutes till the cheese melts.