Ratatouille Pasta

The dish "Rat-a-too-ee" grabbed my attention only after watching the culinary adventures of Remy the rat in the movie "Ratatouille". Until then it was just any other French word to me. Though it was a light-hearted animated  movie, it inspired me in many ways as to how you must use your sense of touch, taste & smell in whatever you cook. one should not just eat to live but get to know the gastronomy of cooking. 
"Ratatouille Nicoise" pronounced as "Rat-a too-ee Neesua" is a roasted vegetable stew originated from the place called Nice in France. The basic ingredient of the stew is tomato & the main vegetables used in this dish are zuchinni/courgette, eggplant & bell pepper.  

Ratatouille is mainly served as a side to any pasta or bread but here I have combined both together to bring out a single main dish. This is a very healthy meal as it has no fat content & also packed with nutrients. This recipe is a simpler & quicker version of a traditional Ratatouille, so instead of stewing up the veggies, I have just roasted them along with the tomatoes and then mixed with the pasta at the end. If you don't have an oven, try sauteing the veggies in a pan until cooked & soft.
Ingredients:

• 200 gm pasta (any type, I have used penne)
• 1/2 courgette (cut into bite size chunks)
• 1/2 aubergine or 2 small eggplant (cut into bite size chunks)
• 1 bell pepper/capsicum (any colour, cut into bite size chunks)
• 1 medium onion (finely sliced)
• 1 big tomato (roughly chopped)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to season

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 Degree Celsius. 
2. Take a roasting tin and tip in all the chopped vegetables & garlic except for tomato. pour the olive oil over the vegetables. Season them with salt & pepper. Toss everything together gently with your hands. 
3. Put the roasting tin in the oven and roast the vegetables for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and keep aside.
5. Take out the tin and add the tomatoes to the roasted vegetables. Put the tin back in the oven and roast for 8-10 minutes more. 
6. Take out the tin after 10 minutes & add the cooked pasta to the roasted vegetables. Add the oregano to it with a little drizzle of olive oil. Give everything a good mix. Serve immediately.