Photo of Ratatouille by Mario

Time for another staple in Mediterranean Cuisine!

This time we’re heading to south of France, Nice, where Ratatouille originated. The story behind the name is in a way similar to the origins of Pesto. ‘Ratatouille’ derives from the word ‘ratatolha’, which is related to ‘ratouiller’ and ‘tatouiller’, which comes from the verb ‘touiller’. It’s sounds like a long way from one word to another, but the meaning of ‘touiller’ is very simple: ‘to stir up’, which basically describes the method of cooking.

Back in the 18th Century ‘Ratatouille’ was often referred to a course stew, however by 1930’s a modern version of this dish came to life, with tomatoes as a base and addition of herbs, such as basil, thyme or herbs de Provence.

Ratatouille is fantastic on it’s own, but it can also be used as part of many other dishes. We’ve already used it in a couple of our recipes, Mediterranean Pie with Ratatouille and Stuffed Flat Mushrooms with Ratatouille, Lentils & Fried Egg. We will post more recipes with Ratatouille in the future, so keep following us social media 🙂

RATATOUILLE

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Makes 2 portions

Recipe by Tom

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 70 g red peppers
• 70 g green peppers
• 70 g yellow peppers
• Half a tea spoon thyme
• 100 g courgette
• 70 g aubergine
• 300 ml Our Tomato Sauce
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Finely chop red onion and finely grate garlic.
2. Cut courgette, aubergine and peppers into 1 cm squares.
3. Pour olive oil into a hot pan and cook onion for 4 minutes, then add garlic and cook 3 more minutes.
4. Add mix peppers and thyme, cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add courgette, cook for 4 minutes.
6. Add aubergine, cook for 4 minutes.
7. Add Our Tomato Sauce and simmer for about 5 – 7 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper.

NOTES

• As I mentioned already, Ratatouille can be served on it’s own, for example with your favourite bread or focaccia, or can be used in another recipe.
• For extra kick, you can add some spice or chilli, according to your own preference.
• My ratatouille recipe is gluten free, dairy free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans
  

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