Anna Valentine's Ratatouille

Ratatouille Recipe
Vegan | Gluten-free
Serves 6-8

1 red onion, diced
1 stick celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced

In a large pan heat:

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
Add the prepared onion, celery and garlic and fry for three minutes, then stir in:
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of sugar
700g tomatoes, skins removed (grated, Passata or canned)
200ml water
1 stalk rosemary,
leaves roughly chopped
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 c olives, pitted
1 x 400g can butterbeans, drained

Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Meanwhile cut the following vegetables into 3mm slices:

1 aubergine (if it's a large aubergine cut in half lengthways)
1 red capsicum, deseeded
and chopped into three pieces lengthways   along natural lines before slicing
1 orange capsicum, deseeded and chopped into three pieces lengthways along natural lines before slicing
1 zucchini
1 potato or kumara

 
When the sauce in the pan has thickened remove from the heat and season with:

3 sprigs fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

 
Stir through and pour into an ovenproof dish drizzled with olive oil. Preheat oven to 180°C.

Starting from the outside arrange the sliced vegetables on the top, so they stand upright but lean against each other. Top with:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T rosemary, chopped

Cover and bake for one hour and 50 minutes. This dish doesn't need much to accompany it, maybe a leafy salad and some fresh bread for dipping into the sauce.