Easy and affordable weeknight ratatouille

When people say cooking healthy is too hard, hand them this recipe. With little to no effort you can whip up this dish and serve it in front of a crowd of hungry guests, or just yourself, in under 30 minutes. This super healthy meal is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to pack a whole bunch of vegetables into one dish. While most people enjoy this vegetarian meal as a main with a side of crusty bread, it also makes the perfect side dish to replace other starchy, high-carb potato sides. If you want to maximise your weekly vegetable intake, ratatouille is the perfect way to go about it. It’s tasty, easy and affordable – what more could you want?

Ingredients

• 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• 2 red onions, thickly sliced
• 1 red capsicum, cut into strips
• 1 yellow capsicum, cut into strips
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 450g zucchini, thickly sliced
• 400g eggplant, coarsely chopped
• 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 bunch basil, coarsely chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons white or red wine vinegar

Method

1. Over medium heat, heat oil in heavy-based saucepan. Add onion, combined capsicum and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until capsicum has softened.
2. Add zucchini and eggplant to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add tomato and sugar. Season. Cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Uncover. Cook for 8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and vegetables are tender.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and vinegar. Serve.