Traditional French Ratatouille Recipe

This ratatouille recipe is taken from the classic Provencal dish made up of tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, courgettes and garlic.

The key to making this is to 'stew' the vegetables, rather than fry them. You can also experiment with different herbs, adding a little red wine or even olives into the mix.

This is a very easy french recipe, and works well as a side dish or as a light lunch with bread. It can be served warm or cold.

Ratatouille

Serves 6

Olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped 2 aubergines, roughly chopped
4 courgettes/zucchini, roughly chopped
3 X 410g tins chopped tomatoes
400ml water
herbs, such as oregano, thyme or marjoram
basil
salt and pepper

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes.

Add the peppers, aubergines and courgettes, mix well and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, water, herbs and seasoning, mix well and simmer gently over a gentle heat for about an hour, stirring from time to time.