Air Fryer Recipe
Ratatouille Stuffed Aubergine
A delicious and easy-to-make ratatouille stuffed aubergine recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 courgette, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Method
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
- Cut aubergines in half lengthwise and scoop out some flesh to create a hollow centre, leaving enough flesh around the edges.
- Dice the scooped aubergine flesh and set aside.
- In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add red onion and garlic, sauté until translucent.
- Add diced bell peppers, courgette, and reserved aubergine flesh. Cook for 5-7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Spoon ratatouille mixture into hollowed-out aubergine halves, pressing down gently to pack the filling.
- Place stuffed aubergines in preheated air fryer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until aubergines are tender.
- If desired, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Remove from air fryer and garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Pre-cooking the ratatouille drives off excess vegetable water before it goes into the aubergine shell. The air fryer’s fast convection then softens the aubergine flesh while drying and lightly browning the exposed filling; a little oil improves heat transfer and stops the cut edges becoming leathery.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket that can hold four aubergine halves in a single layer; in a smaller single-drawer model cook in batches rather than stacking, while dual-zone air fryers may need the halves swapped between drawers halfway as the outer edges often run hotter.
Common pitfalls
- Aubergine shell still firm at 20 minutes? The walls were left too thick; scoop to about 1–1.5 cm next time, and return the halves for 4–6 minutes at 170°C to finish softening without scorching the filling.
- Watery puddle in the basket? The tomatoes, courgette or diced aubergine were not simmered down enough; cook the filling until glossy rather than soupy before stuffing, or drain briefly before spooning it in.
- Filling browning before the aubergine is tender? The top is too exposed to the heating element; cover loosely with foil for the first 10 minutes, then uncover to finish and add Parmesan only near the end.
- Aubergine halves collapsing when lifted? Too much flesh was removed or the filling was packed too tightly; leave a sturdier rim and use a fish slice or perforated spatula to support the skin when removing.
Variations & substitutions
- Use cherry tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes for a sweeter filling, but halve them and simmer a little longer because they release juice more slowly.
- Swap Parmesan for crumbled feta; add it after cooking or in the final 2 minutes only, as feta softens and browns faster than Parmesan.
- Add a spoonful of cooked lentils or chickpeas to make it more substantial, but keep the quantity modest so the filling still heats through in the same 15–20 minute window.
- Replace dried thyme and oregano with fresh basil, parsley or thyme; add delicate herbs after air frying so the airflow does not dry them out and dull their flavour.
Storage & reheating
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 6–8 minutes, adding Parmesan after the first few minutes if using.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
