Baked Plant-Based Ratatouille With Saffron Rice inspired by Ratatouille (2007)

By Gousto

Ratatouille (2007), Food critic, Anton Ego is taken back to his childhood with a mouthful of ratatouille. (1 hour, 35 mins and 35 seconds)

If Anton Ego taking his first bite of Remy’s ratatouille doesn’t make you crave a bowlful of the childhood classic, we don’t know what will. Warm your soul with a perfect mix of portobello mushrooms, butternut squash and soft aubergine, cooked down in a tangy tomato sauce. Serve with saffron rice and fresh basil and enjoy.

Ingredients

For 2 people [double for 4]

15ml balsamic vinegar
32g tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
150g portobello mushrooms
5g basil
200g finely chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
100g white long grain rice
1 aubergine
11g vegetable stock mix
160g butternut squash cubes
1 pinch of saffron
1 red onion

You’ll also need

Olive oil, pepper, salt, sugar

Cooking instructions 50 mins

For 2 people [double for 4]

Step 1

Before you begin…This recipe takes around 5 min [10 min] to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg.

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don’t have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with tin foil.

Step 2

Now, let’s get started! Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C (fan) / gas 7 and boil half a kettle. Heat a large, wide-based hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat.

Step 3

Trim the green stalk off the aubergine[s] and discard, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop the red onion[s] into wedges. Add the chopped aubergine and red onion wedges to the dish.

Step 4

Chop the portobello mushrooms into bite-sized chunks. Add the chopped mushrooms and butternut squash cubes to the dish and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 min or until very lightly browned.

Step 5

Add 300ml [500ml] boiled water with the vegetable stock mix, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp [2 tsp] sugar. Add the chopped tomatoes, dried basil and dried oregano to the dish. Cover with a lid and put the dish in the oven for 45 min or until the veg is tender and the sauce has thickened – this is your baked plant-based ratatouille.

Step 6

Once the plant-based ratatouille has been cooking for 10 min, reboil half a kettle. Add the white long grain rice to an oven-proof dish with the saffron, a generous pinch of salt and 300ml [600ml] boiled water, making sure all the rice is submerged. Cover very tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your saffron rice.

Step 7

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill. To serve, remove the baked plant-based ratatouille from the oven and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Set the plant-based ratatouille in the centre of the table, ready to share. Tear the basil leaves all over the top and serve the saffron rice to the side. Let everyone dig in!

Nutritional and allergen information

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