Vegetable Bake with Tomato & Basil Sauce (Vegan & Vegetarian)
This vegetable bake is full of flavours and makes a great Paleo dinner whether you're vegetarian or not. The dish combines eggplant, zucchini, red capsicum, and a rich tomato-basil sauce for a satisfying meal.
Servings: 4 Serves
Calories: 200kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
- Baking trays
- Baking paper
- Medium saucepan
- 20 cm² (8-inch) baking dish
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant about 500 g, trimmed & sliced in 1 cm thick rounds
- 2 large zucchinis about 500 g, sliced lengthways in ½ cm thick strips
- Olive oil to brush
- 2 red capsicums bell peppers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions halved & sliced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup basil leaves torn
- ½ cup pitted black olives
- ½ cup semi-sundried tomatoes in olive oil*
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Handful baby basil leaves to serve
Instructions
- Prep Oven and Vegetables: Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Prepare 2 baking trays with baking paper. Arrange the eggplant on one and the zucchini on the other in a single layer. Brush liberally with olive oil and season. Add the capsicums to the tray and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Prepare Capsicums: Place the baked capsicums in a plastic bag and tie shut. Sweat for at least 20 minutes before roughly peeling them (the skin will slip off easily), tearing into quarters, and discarding the seeds and stalk.
- Make Tomato Sauce: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, covered, for 10 minutes or until very soft. Remove the lid, add the garlic and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes, basil, and seasoning. Cover, adjust the heat to keep the tomatoes at a steady simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the olives.
- Assemble Bake: Grease a 20 cm² (8-inch) baking dish. Arrange the eggplant in one even layer over the base, spread a quarter of a cup of the tomato sauce over the top. Next, arrange the capsicum in a single layer, then the zucchini. Spread the remaining tomato sauce over this then arrange the semi-sundried tomatoes on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 15 minutes out of the oven in a warm place.
- Serve: Serve warm, garnished with baby basil leaves and accompanied by a green salad.
Notes
- This dish can be prepared ahead and reheated before serving.
- Adjust the seasoning to your taste preference.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like mushrooms or spinach for extra flavour.
- *If you can’t find them in 100% olive oil, reconstitute sundried tomatoes in olive oil (to cover) with a clove or 2 of smashed garlic and a sprig of oregano.