Ingredients
- 3 bell peppers preferably mixed colors
- 10 tomatoes 5-6 fresh tomatoes, peeled for the sauce and 4 tomatoes, to be sliced
- 1 large or 2 small green zucchini/courgette
- 1 large or 2 small eggplants/aubergines
- 1 yellow squash
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence or dried thyme or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- a handful of fresh basil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Roast the bell peppers. First, preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). While the oven is preheating, halve the peppers and remove the core and seeds. Place the peppers (skin side up) on a baking sheet or tray with baking paper on it. Brush a touch of olive oil on the peppers. Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 30 minutes until the peppers are roasted and nicely charred. Remove from the oven, place some plastic wrap/cling film on (to make the skin peel easier) and once cool enough to handle, remove the skin and finely chop the peppers.
- While the bell peppers are roasting, peel the tomatoes (note 1).
- Finely dice the onions.
- To a pan, over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chopped onions and 1/2 tsp salt and saute for about 5-6 minutes. Then, add the minced/chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Then add the chopped peeled tomatoes, Herbes de Provence, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf, and using an immersion blender, blend the tomato-onion mixture.
- Add in the finely chopped peppers and place this mixture at the bottom of the ovenproof dish you’ll use for the ratatouille slices (note 2).
- Thinly slice the zucchini, squash, tomato, and eggplant (note 3).
- Season the slices of zucchini, squash, tomato, and eggplant with a bit of salt, pepper, and brush some olive oil over the slices. Add some chopped basil to the tomato slices.
- Combine the slices in this order – eggplant, then squash, then tomato, then zucchini. Repeat, arranging them in a circle in the cast iron pan or ovenproof dish over the sauce (note 4).
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the veggies (you can use a pastry brush to make sure the oil is spread evenly).
- Cover the baking dish (in my case, cast iron pan) with foil and bake at 300°F (or 150°C) for 2 hours. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 30
minutes (note 5).
Recipe Notes
Note 1: How to peel tomatoes
A – First, score six of the tomatoes (on a cutting board).
B – Add the tomatoes to a large heatproof bowl or pot and pour boiling water over them. Wait 10 minutes.
C – Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water.
D – Peel the skin with a knife and remove the stem.
E – Chop the peeled tomatoes.
Note 2: Ovenproof dish
I used a 10-inch cast-iron pan, but you can also go bigger, using a 12-inch round dish or even a 14-inch. You’d just spread out the slices more.
Note 3: Slicing the Veggies
I used a knife as I generally don’t use a mandoline. Many people will use mandolines to obtain thinner slices. If you’re going to use a mandoline, I highly recommend using cut-resistant gloves. Most people really underestimate how dangerous mandolines can be, and many people can find themselves in the ER due to mandoline cuts/injuries.
Note 4: Leftover Veggie Slices
If you have any leftover slices, you can keep them to use in other dishes like a frittata the next morning.
Note 5: Preparing the Dish the Day Before
This dish is even better the next day. So, if you want to make this the day before, you could bake it first at 300°F (or 150°C) for 2 hours. Then, you could let it cool, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day. Then, before your guests arrive or before dinnertime, take it out of the fridge and bake it for 30-40 minutes at 300°F (or 150°C) until warmed through and slightly caramelized.
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