Toss the diced eggplant with 2 teaspoons of salt and let it rest in a colander for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of your vegetables.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Toss the eggplant into the pan and fry, stirring frequently, until golden. If you find the eggplant has absorbed all of the oil and is sticking, you can add a bit more oil while you're cooking. Scoop the eggplant onto a plate and return the pan to the heat.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir in the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and softened. Add the garlic, the bouquet of basil, the crushed red pepper flakes, and another pinch of salt and allow it to cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until very fragrant. Stir in the peppers and cook for 4 minutes before stirring in the squash and zucchini and cooking for 8 minutes.

Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, then add in the eggplant and cook the whole mixture for 10 to 15 more minutes or until all of the vegetables are quite soft. Remove and squeeze the basil to extract all of the flavours. Slice the remaining basil leaves into thin ribbons (chiffonade) and stir into the ratatouille. You can serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you like. Serve hot, warm, or cold!