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Ratatouille

Ratatouille, this delicious (summer) vegetable dish of French origin, is tasty and healthy and easy to make. There are plenty of variations, some include tomato sauce, some béchamel sauce, some are cooked in a pan on a stove, some in the oven. This is my take.

PREP TIME 20 MIN COOK TIME 45- 50 MIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 5-6

  • 2 small eggplants
  • 2 peppers, one yellow and one red
  • 3 zucchini
  • 4 potatoes
  • 3 red onions
  • 4 tomatoes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • handful of bread crumbs
  • handful of grated Parmigiano
  • basil and parsley, chopped
  1. Pre-heat oven to 190 C.
  2. Wash, pat dry and cut all the veggies into rounds, about 1/2 cm wide and peppers into chunks approximately the size of the veggie rounds. I used new potatoes so left them unpeeled.
  3. Line a baking dish with a sheet f baking paper, drizzle some oil and place all the sliced veggies in the dish in rows or in a circular pattern in an upright position. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the veggies.

4. Add now the breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano and chopped herbs and drizzle some oil on top.

5. Bake for about 40-50 minutes depending on your oven and on the size of your veggies.

BUON APPETITO!

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Baked eggplant pasta

Baked eggplant pasta combines roasted eggplant, hard baked ricotta cheese, mozzarella and tubular pasta like rigatoni, ziti, penne or tortiglioni tossed in a tomato sauce and baked until golden and bubbly. This is not a quick dish to make but the time spent is well worth it.

PREP TIME 15 MIN COOK TIME 60 MIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 5-6

  • 1 large eggplant or 2 medium cut into cubes
  • 500 g rigatoni pasta
  • 700 g tomato passata or 2 cans of crushed or plum tomatoes
  • 250 g mozzarella shredded or cut into cubes
  • 50 g grated ricotta cheese or alternatively 50 g grated Pecorino cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • basil leaves
  • peperoncino (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 225 C.
  2. You can peel the eggplant but it is not necessary. Toss the eggplant cubes with oil and season with salt. Spread the cubes onto a baking tray (or trays) and roast for 20-25 minutes. Turn the eggplant halfway through. When done, keep them aside. Lower the oven to 190 C.
  3. Meanwhile make the tomato sauce: heat some oil in a large saucepan to medium heat and sauté the onion until soft 4-5 min. Add the garlic and peperoncino if using and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato passata or plum tomatoes and cook uncovered at low for 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook pasta in abundant salty boiling water and drain 2-3 minutes less than al dente.
  5. Mix the pasta, the sauce and the eggplant in a large bowl.
  6. Layer the pasta in a baking dish. Add the mozzarella in between the layers and leave a handful to top the dish. Sprinkle the grated ricotta and a few basil leaves on top.

7. Bake at 190 C for 30 minutes until golden brown. It’s best to wait 10-15 minutes before eating to let the pasta settle.

Tip: you can fry the eggplant cubes instead of roasting them in the oven.

BUON APPETITO!