Let's put tradition aside for a moment and cut a few corners with this easier, low maintenance Oven Baked Ratatouille. Yes, you still need to chop the veggies, but you won't need to painstakingly watch over the pan, just pop it all in the oven!
I do believe that putting love into your cooking makes it taste better, but I believe more in efficiency. When you need to magic dinner on the table whilst getting multiple children to their activities all in one afternoon, you need efficiency (and a few awesome parents to car pool with 🙌)! And on some days, when all the stars are aligned and the traffic light and train crossing gods are with me, I actually manage to pull off dinner of some sort at a decent hour. The oven is my answer to everything in this case - less clean up, less watching over a pan time, and less managing of several hot things at once - I’d make a terrible conductor!
That’s how this Easy Oven Baked Ratatouille came about. A traditional ratatouille is made by sautéeing each type of vegetable individually, and then bringing them all together for the grand finale. This could take upwards of thirty minutes of hands-on veggie-sitting! Thirty minutes in which I could be doing something else much more productive or much more fun!
I cut my veggies in small cubes (it’s therapeutic, I tell you) and (look away traditionalists) 🤫 I roasted them. Altogether in the same tray. Shocking isn’t it? The result? A low maintenance and delicious ratatouille. This was stress free, and only required the occasional stir to ensure everything was evenly cooked. Leftovers the next day were even better than the day before. I love to have ratatouille with halloumi and a crisp salad on the side, it’s a great way to get your 5 a day in, and have a meat-free meal! xoxo Kirsty
Ingredients for 6 servings
NOTE: you decide how chunky you want your ratatouille to be. I prefer smaller cubes, but you might prefer slices or larger cubes. It doesn’t really matter, just make sure they’re all roughly the same size.
This is a great one to prep ahead, just chop your veggies in the afternoon and place in the fridge until you’re ready to bake the ratatouille.
1 eggplant, peel on, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large zucchini, cubed
4 roma tomatoes, cubed
1 red onion, cubed
1 red pepper, cubed
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup (60ml) red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dry oregano or 3 stalks fresh oregano, leaves only
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Fresh basil to garnish
Griddled halloumi or feta to serve
Chop all the vegetables, start with the eggplant. Place the cubed eggplant in a large colander, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and toss to combine. Allow it to sit whilst you chop the rest of the veggies into evenly sized cubes, slice the garlic. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
Once all the other vegetables have been chopped, give the eggplant a quick rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Place the eggplant and other veggies in a large roasting tin, toss to combine. Pour over the red wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with oregano, the other teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Toss again.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. Reduce the heat to 350F (180C) and roast for a further 30 minutes uncovered.
Serve warm or at room temperature, garnish with basil. Delicious with halloumi, feta, or an egg - shashuka style!
