Roasted Ratatouille

A one-pan take on the Provençal stew of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onion, and tomato. Where classic ratatouille has you cook each vegetable separately, roasting collapses it all into a single dish and lets the oven's dry heat drive off moisture and caramelize the edges. You trade a little distinct-vegetable texture for deeper, sweeter, concentrated flavor — and almost no hands-on work.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bell peppers (red or yellow), cut into 1-inch pieces, or about 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, cut into strips
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1–2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful of fresh basil, finely sliced, to finish (or parsley, if you prefer)

Roasting & Baking

Roasted Chicken Thighs Pan-Roasted Hot Wings Pan-Roasted Teriyaki Wings Roasted Pork Tenderloin Roasted Potatoes Cauliflower Gratin Potatoes au Gratin Baked Potatoes Twice-Baked Potatoes Mac and Cheese Croque Monsieur Lasagna Spaghetti and Meatballs

Frying in the Oven→

Method

Work the heat in stages: start hot to drive off moisture and get everything going, then step the temperature down so the vegetables concentrate without the reduced pile scorching. Go easy on the oil at the start — eggplant is a sponge and will drink up everything you give it, so hold half back and add it later. The crushed tomatoes and roasted peppers go in only at the end; the tomatoes are already a sauce and just need to reduce into the vegetables. I like jarred roasted red peppers for the smoky-sweet layer and the saved effort, but fresh bell peppers work too — add them at the start, since they need the full roasting time.

Season and layer

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, and onion — plus the bell peppers, if using fresh — with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper; use only half the oil for now, since the eggplant will soak up everything you give it and you want some left for the rest of the pan. Pile the vegetables into a single 9×13-inch roasting dish — they should be snug, as the close quarters help them steam and collapse early on.

Roast in stages

Roast at 450°F for 20 minutes, then stir the vegetables and lower the oven to 400°F. Roast another 20 minutes, until the vegetables have shrunk noticeably and started to caramelize, then stir again and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, scatter the garlic over the top, add the crushed tomatoes and the jarred roasted peppers (if using), and toss to coat. Lower the oven to 375°F and roast a final 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the crushed tomatoes have reduced and cooked down into the vegetables.

Finish

Scrape into a bowl and taste, adjust the salt, and finish with the sliced basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.