A great way to start a meal.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 aubergine
- 3 peppers (cleaned but not chopped)
- 450 g fresh ripe tomatoes
- basil leaves (small handful)
- onion
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Rub the peppers with olive oil and roast in the oven until the skin is charred. Place in a bowl while still hot and cover tightly with cling film. Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile dice the onion and sauté without colouring for approx. 10 minutes. Add all but 3 tomatoes and season well. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally breaking up the tomatoes gently with the spoon as it cooks.
- When the peppers are cooled carefully rub off the charred skins, removing the seeds and cut into 3 pieces. Slice the aubergine into 1cm slices and with a cutter cut a round/ oval out of the 3 different peppers and the aubergine. Leave to one side.
- Dice the half remaining tomatoes, peppers and all of the aubergine and sauté.
- Blend the tomato sauce until smooth and remove a third of it to a clean pan. Add the sautéed vegetables to the rest of the tomato sauce and leave on a low heat.
- Finely chop the remaining vegetables and add to 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes then finely blend. Use this mixture as the glue in the layers of peppers.
- Char grill the aubergine round on both sides prior to stacking with the peppers, using the blended sauce to keep together. Place in the oven for 8 minutes.
- Transfer to a warm plate. Drizzle the tomato sauce around the outside and also the ratatouille.
- Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately.
