Ratatouille with Crispy Farinata

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

Farinata

1. Tip the chickpea flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Slowly whisk in 440ml room temperature water until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. Cover and leave to rest at room temperature for at least 4 hrs, or overnight.
2. Uncover the batter and skim any impurities off the surface. Stir, then add the chopped rosemary, 1 tsp fine salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a jug.
3. Fry the Farinatas in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil on both sides. You are aiming for a pancake shaped look. 

Sauce Base

1. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced onion and garlic. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and fragrant.
    Add the sliced red pepper, a pinch of salt, and cook for another 5 minutes until softened.
3. Stir in the tinned chopped tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Simmer on low heat for 15–20 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Stir in half the basil, roughly torn, and remove from heat.
    

Assemble the Ratatouille

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C) / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Spread the tomato and pepper sauce evenly across the base of an oven proof frying pan or gratin dish.
3. Neatly layer the aubergine, courgette, and fresh tomato discs in a repeating pattern (overlapping them slightly) over the sauce, spiralling or arranging in rows depending on the shape of your dish.
4. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.

Bake

1. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 20–25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelised on top.

Finish & Serve

1. Serve it with burrata on top and a drizzle of olive oil