Trayroasted ratatouille pasta
I often serve this with chunky crisp croutons instead of pasta. If you leave out the pasta it’s also a great sauce to layer into a vegetarian lasagne or moussaka, or serve atop halves of tender roasted eggplant for a fabulous vegetarian main or as a delicious side for barbecued or roasted meats. It’s a great sauce to make in bulk at this time of year as it freezes really well.
Serves 6-8
Ready in 23⁄4 hours
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tsp salt ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
1kg tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters or sixths
2 red onions, halved and cut in thin wedges
4 zucchini, finely sliced
1 eggplant, chopped into 1cm cubes
1⁄2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
200g feta, cut into chunks
To serve
500g dried spaghetti or thin fettuccine basil leaves, to garnish
Method
Heat oven to 130degC, fan bake. In a large roasting dish, mix together oil, water, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and rosemary.
Add all the vegetables, toss to coat evenly and spread out in the dish. Top with olives and feta. Bake until vegetables are meltingly tender and with a light golden crust on the top (about 21⁄2 hours). It keeps happily in the fridge for 4 or 5 days and can be frozen.
When ready to serve, cook pasta according to packet instructions. Toss roasted vegetables through pasta and sprinkle with basil leaves.