Ratatouille Pasta Sauce
Zucchini, red capsicum, aubergine, tomato. These vibrant vegetables remind me of love. They remind me of family, of milestones. Like all things good, this recipe has evolved over the years. It began as a chunky roasted vegetable sauce infused with anchovies and fresh basil, tossed through bowls of store-bought linguine. We ate it with tall mounds of grated parmesan and too many glasses of cheap red wine. A few years later, it was blended smooth (sans anchovies), mixed with tiny pasta shapes and fed to our wide-eyed baby girl as one of her first solid food adventures. She loves this sauce still with an obsessive passion and asks for it at least seven times a week. I’ve recently added cannellini beans for extra hidden goodness and wholemeal linguine, homemade.
- Sauce
- Contemporary
- chunky roasted vegetable sauce, hidden vegetable sauce, tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, Cannellini beans, wholemeal pasta, high protein, high fibre, fresh basil, grated parmesan
Recipe:
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 large (400g) aubergine
- peeled and chopped into
- medium chunks
- 1 large (400g) zucchini
- chopped into medium chunks
- 1 large (250g) red capsicum
- seeds and core removed and
- roughly chopped
- 6 tablespoons oil, peanut or olive
- ½ teaspoon iodised table salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- freshly cracked
The Sauce
- 4 tablespoons oil
- peanut or olive
- 1 small (100g) onion
- finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon iodised table salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves
- finely sliced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes
- 1 x 400g tinned cannellini beans
- drained and rinsed
- 500ml vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon mixed herbs
Dish up with
Wholemeal pasta
Grated parmesan
Method
Turn on the oven
Let’s start with the roasted vegetables. Turn on the oven and set it to 200℃ or 180℃ fan forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper. If an air fryer is preferred, line the basket with baking paper.
Season chopped vegetables
Toss the chopped aubergine, zucchini and half the oil in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour out onto one of the baking trays. Using the same bowl, toss the chopped red capsicum in the remaining oil with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour out onto the second baking tray. If using an air fryer, roast the vegetables in the same way, but in smaller batches.
Roast vegetables
Place both vegetable trays in the oven and roast until brown and caramelised, 30 - 35 minutes. For an air fryer, roast the vegetables at 180℃ for 15 - 20 minutes or until brown and caramelised. The natural sugars in the capsicum will result in faster roasting, so keep an eye on it. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven or air fryer and set aside.
Saute onion
Now onto the sauce. Heat oil in a large pot over a medium high heat. Add the onions along with a big pinch of salt and black pepper and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 10 - 15 minutes. Seasoning at the start creates a solid flavour base for the sauce.
Brown garlic and tomato paste
Add the sliced garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring for a further 2 minutes. Don’t rush this step. Cooking out tomato paste activates its natural umami qualities and the reward is a rich, savoury base.
Add roasted vegetables and simmer
Add the roasted vegetables, along with the tinned tomatoes, cannellini beans, stock and dried herbs. Give everything a good mix. Pop a lid on the pot and bring to a slow boil, then reduce the heat to medium and bubble away for 15 - 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the aubergine and zucchini are soft and melty.
Blend sauce until smooth
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, before blending smooth with a stick blender. Taste the sauce before adding more salt and pepper.
Plate up
Toss a good ladle of sauce per person through cooked wholemeal pasta. Spoon into bowls and top with grated parmesan.
Storage + Leftovers
Ratatouille Pasta Sauce is even better the next day, once the flavours have mingled overnight and can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge. I like to portion the sauce and freeze it in bags or ice trays (child friendly), ready for quick dinners. This sauce and pasta are made for each other, but do try it as a robust shakshuka sauce or spread on sourdough pizza bases. I often set aside a few ladles of sauce to mix with more beans for a quick beans on toast dinner.
Recipe Notes
- Peeling the aubergine results in a sauce that’s redder in colour and free of little black specks.
- Aubergine and zucchini are spongy vegetables and they may need more oil during the roasting stage. Roasting and caramelisation is the desired effect rather than steaming.
- Don’t rush cooking out the tomato paste. Time (and stirring) activates its natural umami qualities and the reward is a rich, savoury base for the rest of the ingredients.