Provençal Stuffed Vegetables
This timeless Provençal dish transforms classic ratatouille vegetables—peppers, aubergines, courgettes, and tomatoes—into a savory delight, stuffed with seasoned sausage meat, fresh herbs, and garlic-soaked bread. As a seasoned home cook with years exploring Mediterranean flavors, I've perfected this recipe for its rustic charm and crowd-pleasing taste.
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Ingredients for 6 people:
4 slices of slightly stale country bread, 70 cl of milk, 3 red or yellow peppers, 4 small aubergines, 4 small courgettes, 4 tomatoes, 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 700g of fine sausage meat, 3 eggs, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, olive oil, fine salt and ground black pepper.
1. Peel the bread and cut the crumb into small dice. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with milk, and let soak while prepping the vegetables and stuffing.
2. Halve the peppers lengthwise, removing stems, seeds, and inner septa. Halve the aubergines and hollow out the pulp with a spoon; repeat with courgettes. Halve the tomatoes and scoop out 1 tablespoon of pulp from each.
3. In a salad bowl, coarsely chop the aubergine and courgette pulp. Add the tomato pulp and mix well.
4. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Add to the bowl with the sausage meat, 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoons thyme. Mix thoroughly.
5. Squeeze excess milk from the bread. Beat the eggs, then add the bread and eggs to the stuffing mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 180°C.
6. Fill the vegetables generously, mounding the stuffing into domes. Drizzle with olive oil. Arrange in a baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. Serve hot, warm, or cold—ideal for picnics. Smaller vegetables enhance presentation. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
