A roasted vegetable casserole, deliciously flavored with Italian herbs, oil, and cheese. This is one of my favorite roasted vegetable recipes. Baked in the oven so that all the aromas and flavors blend well. The vegetables have the time to sweeten and get all those great flavors. A top recipe for Christmas, Easter, or any dinner party.
Roasted Vegetable Casserole
Roasted vegetables in the oven? Who isn't fond of them? It's a great way to prepare a mix of veggies and even use leftovers. So I'll make it a lot. But there are a few things to remember when roasting vegetables. Don't mix hard vegetables with soft vegetables (like eggplant, tomato, and zucchini). Add spices that won't burn (so when using garlic, brush your casserole dish with it or use a whole clove rather than squeezing it. And use a moderate oven temperature. Otherwise, your veggies will burn instead of slow roasting, developing these delicious flavors and sweetness.
With that in mind, I prepared this roasted vegetable casserole. My go-to veggie recipe for almost every dinner party and holiday dinner because it's easy to prepare, the flavors are great, and I love the gratin. And I will share that recipe with you so you can enjoy it too!
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How to Roast Vegetables in the Oven, Thumb of Rule
Start by preheating the oven to 350 to 440 °F (180 to 220 °C).
Use 350 °F (180 °C) with soft vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, tomato, and fennel (as in this oven dish).
When preparing a veggie bake with hard vegetables (carrot, bell pepper, green beans, onion, and pumpkin) and heat to 440 °F (220 °C).
The baking time will be 30 to 40 minutes for both dishes.
Place the vegetables on a baking tray and spread them so that all vegetables are cooked evenly.
Toss the vegetables with oil and season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings of your choice. Don't cover the vegetables with foil or a lid from the beginning because when you cover the vegetables, they get soggy, and you don't want that.
But what to do when you find out your vegetables are getting too brown? Then cover them with aluminum foil, but remove that 5 minutes before your baking time is done, so that they've got time to dry.
What do you need for an Italian Vegetable Bake?
To prepare this Roasted Vegetable Casserole, you require the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Olive oil: when roasting, you require an oil, and olive oil gives extra flavor to the Italian bake. Use olive oil, extra vierge.
- Garlic: Don't add garlic cloves, but use a halved clove to brush the casserole dish. This way, the garlic flavors every bit of vegetable.
- Zucchini: Besides being a delicious vegetable, zucchini is a very healthy vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It is also a low-calorie vegetable. You can peel zucchini, but because the skin is soft and thin, this is not necessary.
- Tomatoes: buy the tastiest tomatoes you can get your hands on, like Roma or plum tomatoes. This is because they have a lot of flavors, and the flavor will enhance by roasting them. And because it defines the taste of this recipe.
- Eggplant: A neutral-flavored vegetable often used in Mediterranean cuisine, also known as aubergine. Eggplant tends to soften quickly. The eggplants should be firm and have no soft or discolored spots.
- Fennel: A firm, anise (licorice) taste. It gives a bit of sweetness to the vegetables.
- Italian herbs: With all these Italian-inspired vegetables, these Italian herbs greatly enhance the taste. If you don't have fresh Italian herbs, use two teaspoons of dried herbs.
- Old cheese: grated, sprinkle this on top of your roasted vegetable casserole. It gives a delicious gratin.
How to prepare Easy Layered Vegetable Casserole
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.
- Cut all vegetables into ¼ inch (½ cm) thick slices. Put the zucchini, eggplant, fennel, and tomatoes aside. Make sure every vegetable slice gets the same thickness. This way, the veggies will all be done at the same time. Eggplants can have a big diameter. Cut those slices in half.
- Brush the casserole dish with olive oil. Next, half the garlic and rub the bottom and sides of the container, so the veggies can absorb the garlic flavor.
- Fill the casserole with vegetable slices; when the eggplant has a big diameter, half the slices. First, add the zucchini, then tomato, eggplant, and fennel. Repeat this order. Then put the veggies in until the casserole dish is filled.
- Sprinkle the veggies with the remaining oil and spread the Italian herbs on top of the veggies. Put the grated cheese on top and put the casserole in the oven. If you like flavor with ground black pepper. Bake for 40 minutes. Check every 10 minutes to see if your casserole is baking well. When it gets too brown, put some aluminum foil on top. Take it away five minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Serve this roasted vegetable casserole with Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and veal saltimbocca with Mozzarella for an Italian inspired dinner.
Tips and Variations
- You could replace one of the vegetables (or supplement the dish) with bell peppers, mushrooms, or red onion for different flavors.
- Spicy? Add some red pepper flakes on top.
- Old cheese: Instead of old cheese use Mozzarella or Parmesan.
- Twist: Add a tablespoon of pesto with three tablespoons of olive oil and drizzle it on top.
- To ensure even baking make sure to slice the vegetables into similar sized pieces.
Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil, extra vierge
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 zucchini
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 eggplant
- 2 bulbs fennel
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra vierge
- 1 oz. fresh Italian herbs, leaves only, chopped finely
- 2 oz. old cheese, preferably
Instructions
Oven-roasted vegetable recipe
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F or 320 °F. - Grease the baking dish with olive oil.1 tablespoons olive oil
- Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the sides and bottom of the dish with the garlic.1 clove garlic
- Cut the zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and fennel bulbs into slices about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick.1 zucchini, 4 tomatoes, 1 eggplant, 2 bulbs fennel
- Arrange the sliced vegetables alternately (so first a slice of zucchini, then tomato, eggplant, and finally fennel, and repeat that) in the bowl.
- Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grate the cheese on top.1 oz. fresh Italian herbs, 2 oz. old cheese
- Slide the casserole into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Check every 10 minutes if the vegetables won't become too brown. In that case, cover with aluminum foil.
Notes
-
- You could replace one of the vegetables (or supplement the dish) with red bell peppers, mushrooms, or red onion for different flavors. Don't mix hard vegetables with soft vegetables (like eggplant, tomato, fennel, and zucchini).
-
- Spicy? Add some red pepper flakes on top.
-
- Old cheese: Instead of old cheese use Mozzarella or Parmesan.
-
- Twist: Add a tablespoon of pesto with three tablespoons of olive oil and drizzle it on top.
-
- To ensure even baking make sure to slice the vegetables into similar sized pieces.
- Refrigerator: Store in the fridge for up to two days, covered with plastic foil.
- Reheat: You certainly can. Preheat the oven to 450 °F (230 °C) and divide the vegetables over a baking tray. Drizzle with some olive oil and toss well. Bake them like this for 5 minutes until done.
Tip: Don't reheat them in the steam oven or microwave. In addition, they become soft and moist, which is not tasty! - Freezer: Don't store in the freezer. The vegetables' structure will change, which is not a good thing.
Nutrition
Taleen | Just As Tasty says
I love roasted veggies! This looks delicious!
Sue L says
Roasted vegetables are so good. This is great idea for Christmas dinner!
Emily says
My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish, I can’t wait to try it!
Amanda Marie Boyle says
Love this combination of vegetables!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
This dish looks so deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right this minute!
Andréa says
Thank you! It indeed is so delicious.
Andréa says
Thank you Sue. It's indeed one of the vegetable dishes I made several times for Christmas dinner.
Andréa says
Thank you Emily!
Andréa says
Thank you Amanda, the combination is indeed very delicious!
Andréa says
😉 Thank you!
Stephanie says
This is such an delicious dish with a medley of roasted vegetables. Not only does it taste great but it looks inviting with the veggies organized so nicely.
Alexandra says
Such a beautifully presented dish! The vegetables came out cooked to perfection and I loved the touch of cheese on top for added flavour. Will make again!
Leslie says
Roasted to perfection! This is my favorite way to eat veggies! You can't beat this recipe!