'best ever' ratatouille recipe, please

[queen of the cobs]

The courgettes are coming thick and fast (going to have marrows soon after all this rain!)

I'd love your fave ratatouille recipe, please - got my oen, but it's nice to have a change.

Indeed, any courgette suggestions would be welcome.

[Rhona]

My only tip (as with loads of dishes) is to spend about three times as long as you think you need to cooking the onions, and garlic if you're using it. Add some wine and reduce it quite a lot, a teeny bit of sugar, wine vinegar and lemon juice. Lashings of fresh rosemary or thyme, and the ripest, most fragrant tomatoes you can find. I also add a bit of dried chilli sometimes.

And a gorgeous salad to follow and a homemade loaf of bread!

[marigold007]

Baked ratatouille with pasta* (one serving)

38 g. of pasta, uncooked weight
3 olives


Recipe
(taken from tesco ediets)


Baked ratatouille with seed topping*

1 red onion
1 clove of garlic
100 g. of aubergine
1 courgette
1 small tin of chopped tomatoes (227g)
1 tsp of capers
3 tbs of breadcrumbs
1 tbs of sunflower seeds

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Slice the onion, crush the garlic and chop the aubergine and courgette into 2cm (1") cubes. Combine these with the tinned tomatoes, capers and herbs in an oven-proof dish.
Mix the breadcrumbs and the sunflower seeds and use to top the vegetable casserole. Bake for 40 minutes, covering with foil if the top begins to catch.
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I of course grill my aubergine in slices with olive oil and I use fresh tomatoes. I also use herbs from the garden. Rosemary and thyme do well.

edit: and I almost forgot. put shredded parmigiano-reggianno cheese on top.

[tootles]

Courgettes with cumin and couscous.

3 courgettes in smallish chunks
1 onion finely chopped
1 heaped tbsp ground cumin
couscous (never sure of quantities here!)
handful of peanuts (washed if salted)

soften onions in a small pan, add cumin and courgettes and cook for another 5 mins. Add peanuts, couscous and the right amount of liquid (!). Knob of butter, stir, leave 'till ready and enjoy.
yummy yummy

[SMS6]

I don't like aubergine - can ratatouille be made with out them?

[Alison]

RATATOUILLE

INGREDIENTS:
Aubergines
Courgettes
Onions
Red or green peppers
4 large tomatoes or 400g tinned tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh basil
Salt
Black pepper

METHOD:
1. Cut aubergine and courgettes into approximately 1 inch slices.
2. Chop the onions roughly, de–seed the peppers and chop them too.
3. Skin the tomatoes by first plunging them into boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then removing the skins.
4. Quarter them, and extract the seeds.
5. Rinse the aubergine and courgettes.
6. Pat with a kitchen towel to dry.
7. Now fry the onions and garlic gently in the olive oil in a large pan until soft.
8. Cut the aubergine and courgettes into chunks and add them to the pan. Also add the chopped peppers.
9. Add the basil, salt and pepper (fresh ground black pepper will give the best result) and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes.
10. After that time add the tomato flesh.
11. Leave the lid off and cook for a further 15 minutes.
12. Eat and enjoy

Can vary amount of courgettes / aubergines accordingly or miss out the aubergines if you're one of those odd people like my OH (no offence meant SMS6!) that doesn't like them.