First, make the sauce. Heat up the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat and add in the chopped onion. Fry for about 5 minutes until the onion softens.
1 tsp olive oil, 1 small onion
Add in the garlic and red pepper and give everything a stir. Then add in the tomato puree and mix it into the veg. Finally add in the chopped tomatoes, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Give everything a stir, bring it to the boil then turn it down and let it bubble gently and thicken for 10-15 minutes.
2 cloves garlic, 1/2 a red pepper, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 400 g (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, pinch salt and pepper
Once the sauce is cooked, you can leave the sauce a little chunky like it is, or if you prefer, you can use a hand blender to whizz the sauce and make it as smooth as you like (I give mine a very quick pulse with my hand blender). If blending, leave the sauce to cool and little, then transfer it to a blender jug, so the sauce doesn't splash when blending.
Preheat your oven to 190C/375F (fan). Using a mandolin or a food processor, slice the onion, butternut squash, courgette/zucchini, and tomatoes into thin slices (approx. 1/10 of an inch thick).
1 red onion, 1/2 a small butternut squash, 1 large courgette/zucchini, 4 medium tomatoes
Take a deep, rectangular, oval or round oven dish, and when the tomato sauce is ready, pour the sauce into the oven dish.
Layer the veg slices on top alternating between the different veg. Try to lie them at a slight angle and layer them around the edge of the dish first in a large hoop. Then layer two lines of veg in the gap in the middle so that the whole dish is covered.
Drizzle on the 1 tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle on a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the dish in foil (try not to let the foil touch the veg) and cook for 30 minutes. Then take the foil off and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes.
1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper
Whilst the ratatouille is in the oven, prepare your feta croutons. Take two plates and one shallow bowl. Place the flour on one plate. Crack the egg into the bowl and gently whisk for a few seconds with a fork. Mix the breadcrumbs, paprika and black pepper on the other plate.
3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, 1 egg, 6 heaped tbsp panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp paprika, good pinch of black pepper
Dip each piece of feta in turn into the flour, egg and finally the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess as you go.
200 g (7 oz) tub of cubed* (see tip 1) feta
When the ratatouille is about 5 minutes from being ready, heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the feta croutons on a medium-high heat for about 5-6 mins, turning every minute or two until golden and crisp on all sides. Drain the feta on a piece of kitchen paper. You may have to cook the feta in two batches. If so, drain on kitchen paper, and place in the oven for a couple of minutes to keep warm.
3 tbsp olive oil
Take the ratatouille out of the oven, leave to cool slightly for a few minutes, then pile the feta croutons on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve!
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Notes
* Tip 1: If you can't find ready- cubed feta, buy a block of feta and freeze for 30 minutes, before slicing into 1/2" cubes. Wipe the knife in between each slice to help prevent the feta from crumbling.Nutritional Information is per serving.