Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Finely dice the onion, garlic and pepper.
Soften the onion, garlic and pepper in olive oil. Stir in the passata and herbes de Provence and season with salt and pepper.
Spread the tomato sauce in a baking dish. Cut the aubergine, courgettes and tomatoes into very thin slices that are as even as possible.
Layer the aubergine, courgette and tomato alternately and tightly packed in the sauce. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly again.
Cover the dish and bake the ratatouille at 180 °C for 30 min until the veg softens. Then remove the cover and bake uncovered for another 10–15 min until the top is lightly browned.
Serve the ratatouille hot, ideally with a few fresh herbs or a piece of sourdough bread.
Good to know
This is what a quiet evening in the south of France tastes like. The dish makes little fuss but still brings lots of flavour to the table. It comes out of the oven soft, fragrant and wonderfully juicy.
Swaps
Aubergine → fennel (provides fibre and brings a slightly different flavour) | courgette → yellow summer squash (similar nutritional values, a bit more colour) | passata → unsweetened chopped tomatoes (more texture, comparable nutrients) | olive oil → avocado oil (heat-stable, with mainly monounsaturated fatty acids)
Allergens
The recipe is naturally free from gluten, egg and milk, as long as you don't serve it with a side that contains them. It's usually very child-friendly, and fine during pregnancy as long as the veg is cooked thoroughly.
