This week I met up with a girlfriend at a farmers market. We were planning to cook all day for her daughters birthday party. With long hours in the kitchen ahead of us, she asked, what are we going to have for lunch? I was standing at produce tables overflowing with beautiful tiny purple eggplant, colorful sweet peppers, onions, green zucchini and ripe red tomatoes. I made roasted ratatouille. She loved it and I bet you will too.
Roasted Ratatouille
Bursting with the vibrant colors of fresh vegetables and the flavor of herbs, Ratatouille is a classic vegetable dish from the South of France. Once prepped, toss it all together with olive oil and plenty of fresh chopped thyme, then roast in the oven.
Sometimes I add dried Herbs de Provence, a traditional all-purpose French dried herb blend of rosemary, fennel, thyme, savory, basil, tarragon, lavender and other herbs. It’s optional, but delicious.
Roasting Vegetables
Roasting vegetables brings out their fantastic flavors and it’s a hands-off technique. While the vegetables are in the oven, work on the rest of your meal. For lunch, I served the Ratatouille over brown rice for a vegan, gluten-free option. It’s also good served with pasta.
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Roasted ratatouille is also good as a side dish for roast chicken or fish. Fold any leftovers into an omelet or wrap. For another good all-veggie dish, try my Edamame succotash.
Tools for Oven Roasting Vegetables
- Rimmed baking sheets – A must-have kitchen tool. I use the half sheet, quarter sheet and eighth sheet sizes. Use them for baking, roasting, organizing, as a landing place for raw proteins in the refrigerator. Find them at the links above on Amazon, restaurant supply, or cooking store.
- Baking parchment – Another handy tool for baking, roasting and many other kitchen uses. Buy packages of pre-cut half sheet size (12"x16"). You can always cut them in half to use on quarter sheet pans. Parchment helps protect food in the oven from direct contact with a hot metal pan and makes pans easier to clean. Buy the cut sheets at cooking and restaurant supply stores or online. I’ve included links for Amazon.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Ratatouille
Equipment
- Rimmed baking pans
- baking parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 large red bell pepper yellow or orange
- ½ large onion
- 6-8 small round Indian eggplants or 1 Japanese eggplant
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2-3 large large
- 8-10 whole garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
- 1-2 teaspoons dried lavender or Herbs de Provence optional
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste
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Instructions
Pre-heat Oven
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (204 C). Line a half sheet size rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Prep Vegetables
- Cut all of your vegetables into approximately the same sizes. Don’t cut them too small or they will roast too quickly and risk burning. See photos in the post for a visual reference. Cut the peppers into large chunks about 1 ½″ square. Cut onion into large chunks. If you are using the small Indian eggplant, cut them in quarters top to bottom, and depending on the size, maybe in half crosswise for 8 pieces. If using another variety of eggplant, cut it into small chunks. For zucchini, quarter them lengthwise, then cut into about 5 pieces each. For the tomato, cut into quarters, then across again into 8 pieces.
Season and Roast
- Place all vegetables in a large bowl along with the whole garlic cloves and toss with olive oil and herbs. Spread the vegetables on the parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven until the vegetables are shriveled and browning at the edges. It will take between 35-45 minutes. Timing will depend on your oven and the size you cut your vegetables. When you smell them, check them.
Ilke says
I have a guest this weekend and I am set to grill fish , a big Pompano. Have been thinking about side dishes. I am definitely going with this one, on top of my bulgur pilaf and the fish. Simple and saves time. Thank you!
Erin says
This is SO delicious. My family loved it! I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for the recipe!
kate says
I made this for my family tonight it was delicious. I was going to have it with quinoa to make it extra healthy but i couldn't find any in the shop so i used brown rice.
I especially loved the taste of the egg plant as it absorbed all the herbs like a sponge and thought the roasted red onion and garlic really gave it a tasty kick. The famo loved it. Very nice dish.
Priscilla | ShesCookin says
Hi Sally - that's what I love about roasted vegetables: so simple, yet sensational (in taste and appearance). Those tiny eggplants are so cute! Gorgeous photos, love how vibrant the colors are.
Sally says
Totally agreed Priscilla! I love to roast vegetables! Once you learn how simple it is to do and how good they taste, you can get your family (or yourself) to eat more vegetables.
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
I have been wanting to try those small eggplant. This looks like a delicious lunch or dinner. And, I think I could use some quarter sheets.
Michelle K says
Looks yummy! Look forward to trying it. I have a "novice" cooking question. We usually use aluminum foil in baking bans (Dan's favorite) like you are describing using parchment, which we have, but never use. What is the difference/reason for parchment instead of foil? Love your photos and info as usual, thank you.
Sally says
All questions welcome Michelle. Glad you asked. Parchment and foil are often interchangeable. Parchment, in particular, protects food from the direct heat of the bottom of the pan. They both make clean-up easier. Foil is reflective, parchment is not. If you have parchment but don't use it, now you have a reason to try it and see for yourself. Parchment will absorb some extra moisture and foil will not. Next time I roast a batch I will try two pans side by side, one foil and one parchment. Hard to explain, and maybe just a very small difference, but I like doing vegetables with parchment. If you choose to use neither of them and roast directly on the pan, watch your timing as the vegetables may roast faster. Follow your nose. When you smell them, check them. And you may need to mix and turn them part of the way through roasting. And remember, ovens vary. Hope this helps!