Oven-roasted Ratatouille with (or without) Sausages

Categories: untried, vegetarian

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 small eggplants, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 red or white onions, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 yellow peppers, deseeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of chopped tomatoes
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme (if you have it), chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 12 good-quality butcher sausages (allow 2 sausages per person)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Place the chopped zucchini, eggplants, onions and peppers on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the vegetables with your hands to ensure they’re all coated with the oil. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 30 minutes, until they have blackened slightly, taking care not to let anything burn.

3. About 10 minutes before the vegetables are done roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot (big enough to eventually hold all the vegetables, tomatoes and sausages, if you’re using them) over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, taking care not to let it burn. Add the tomatoes, chopped herbs and salt and freshly ground pepper and ring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, while the vegetables finish roasting.

4. Once the vegetables are done, add them to the pot with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Nestle the sausages into the vegetables and sauce, making sure they are immersed in the sauce as much as possible. Cover the pot halfway and continue to simmer on a medium-low, stirring occasionally so that nothing burns on the bottom, for about 30 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through and the flavours have blended together. Season to taste. Serve with crusty bread, or spooned on top of pasta as a sauce.

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