Crunchy Cook Recipe: Ratatouille Pasta

This classic family favourite is absolutely packed with veg, making it an easy and delicious way to hit your five-a-day. It's popular with kids, though if they are nervous about veg you could always whizz it with a hand-blender to make a 'hidden veg' pasta sauce. Like most stews it tastes better the day after it’s made - it’s a great one to make ahead so you’ve got a healthy week-night meal ready and waiting for you when you’re short of time.

We’ve made it as easy as possible for you to make this dish by packing the ingredients into a Crunchy Cook meal kit bag: we weigh everything out for you, include a recipe sheet and have filmed a step-by-step video showing you how to make it: How to Make Our Ratatouille Pasta Video. Crunchy Cook bags save you time, cost almost the same as buying the ingredients separately in-store (we add 50p for packaging and packing), and cut food waste because you buy exactly what you need.

Find out more about the bags, including how to order them, here.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Basic recipe, ingredients included in the bag:
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 large aubergines, cut into 1.5cm chunks
2 small or 1 large courgette, cut into 1.5cm chunks
2 red or yellow peppers, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 cans plum tomatoes
30g fresh basil, stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped
300g pasta 

Not included in bag:
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar 

Possible additions
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese

Method

1.      In a large saucepan with a lid, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. When it’s quite hot tip in the aubergine. Cook, stirring regularly so it doesn’t stick, until it starts to soften and brown. Remove it onto a plate while you cook the rest of the vegetables.

2.      Add a little more oil if the pan is dry, and turn the heat right down. Tip in the onion, put the lid on and sweat for about eight minutes until it softens. Add the peppers and courgette, turn the heat up a little and fry, stirring regularly, for about five minutes until they start to brown. Don’t over-cook them now or they’ll get mushy later.

3.      Add in the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute. Tip in the tinned tomatoes, the vinegar (if using), sugar, aubergine, a good crack of pepper and the basil stalks. (This is where you would add the chilli flakes, if you’re using them.)

4.      Bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are soft but not mushy.

5.      While it’s cooking, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the water, then tip in the pasta. Boil until it’s al dente (still has bite to it).

6.      When the ratatouille is done, turn off the heat, stir through the basil leaves and serve with the pasta, and grated cheese if you like. It’s even better the next day.

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Cooking Techniques Explained

Sweat: cooking vegetables gently in oil or butter so they soften without browning too much. For example, to sweat onion means to gently cook it over a low heat until it turns translucent without browning. 

Boil: Heating a liquid until it bubbles vigorously.

Simmer: Heating until bubbles gently break the surface, below boiling point.

Dice: Cutting food into small cube shapes, about 0.5cm wide.

Crush: Usually used when preparing garlic: once you’ve chopped it as small as you can, crush it into a paste using the edge of your knife or a spoon to get as much flavour out as possible.

Sauté: quickly frying in a hot pan, in oil or butter.