Classic Ratatouille

This classic ratatouille is summer on a plate: thin slices of zucchini, squash, eggplant and tomatoes baked over a rich, herby tomato sauce until meltingly tender. It is naturally vegan, light and endlessly versatile — serve it as a side, over grains or with crusty bread. Fans of baked vegetable dishes will also love our Warm Eggplant and Mozzarella Salad and our Italian-Style Chicken and Eggplant Bake.

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 eggplant
• 5 tomatoes
• For the sauce: 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 450 g (1 lb) tomatoes, peeled
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil

Instructions

1. For the sauce: finely chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden; add the pepper and cook 3-4 more minutes.
2. Peel the tomatoes and blend with the tomato paste (canned peeled tomatoes work too).
3. Pour the tomato mixture into the pan, add oregano and basil, and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Thinly slice the zucchini, squash, eggplant, and tomatoes; arrange overlapping in the sauce.
5. Cover and bake at 180C (350F) for 35-40 minutes until tender.

Tips

• Slice the vegetables as thinly and evenly as you can — uniform slices bake at the same rate and look beautiful.
• Let the tomato sauce simmer until slightly thickened so the bake stays saucy, not watery.
• For more vegetable-roasting fundamentals, the kitchen guides at AllRecipes are a handy reference.

Nutrition: per 100 g: 43.2 kcal, protein 1 g, fat 2.3 g, carbs 4.7 g.