Cheesy and Delicious Mediterranean Vegetable Bake

Mediterranean vegetables are my soft spot, as odd as that may sound.

Be it zucchini with some feta and pasta, a rich Goulash without tomatoes but plenty of peppers, a quick Mediterranean pasta, or simply roasted fennel with herbs, these vegetables are easy to cook, extremely versatile, and always deliver a colorful and tasty meal.

This veggie bake is made of layered peppers, eggplant, and zucchini that have been grilled with some delicious extra virgin olive oil.

In between layers, there's a sauce made of rich tomatoes, garlic, onion, and herbs of choice, all brought together with some gooey mozzarella cheese and flavorful Parmesan.

This is finally baked to perfection to create the best side dish, or light main course, perfect to carry to work in a lunchbox or enjoy with friends at a dinner party.

Are you ready to bake the ultimate vegetarian delight to add to your favorites?

Mediterranean Vegetable Bake Ingredients

• Zucchini, Peppers, and Eggplant: The stars of this Mediterranean bake. Choose fresh, firm vegetables for grilling. If you have any left, you can use them for this Grilled Zucchini and Ricotta Recipe.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For grilling and cooking the tomato sauce, adds flavor. If wanted, the spray version of it can be used for grilling.
• Garlic, Onion, Basil: These are used to flavor the tomato sauce. Garlic and onion can be reduced, skipped, or increased. Basil can be swapped for other fresh or dry herbs of preference!
• Canned Chopped Tomato, and Tomato Passata: Used to make the sauce for layering. You can use only one or the other type of tomato, or mix it as I have for this recipe.
• Salt, and Pepper: To taste.
• Caster Sugar: You will need very little of this and ONLY if the tomato sauce is too tangy.
• Mozzarella Cheese, and Parmesan Cheese: For gooey layers, and a rich and flavorful topping.

How To Make Mediterranean Bake?

1. Preheat the FAN oven to 180 degrees Celsius, 400 Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius Static Oven or Gas Mark 6.
2. Wash and slice the peppers, eggplant, and zucchini.
3. Grill the vegetables on a griddle with some olive oil. Ensure they are thoroughly cooked so that they don't create too much water when they are baking later.
4. Prepare the tomato sauce by sauteeing some thinly sliced onion and crushed garlic.
5. Once the onions are transparent and soft, add the tinned tomato and passata.
6. Once it simmers, add the basil or your herbs of choice, such as thyme, or marjoram, as well as a bit of salt and pepper.
7. Simmer the sauce until thick and cooked.
8. Once the sauce is cooked, adjust the seasoning, and if it is too tangy, add a little caster sugar and mix well.

9. Start preparing the Mediterranean bake by layering some tomato sauce at the bottom of the baking dish, then alternating grilled vegetables, more sauce, and thinly sliced mozzarella cheese.
10. Once all the veggies have been used, mix the leftover tomato sauce with the Parmesan cheese and spread it over the top of the dish.
11. Bake the dish for 30 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, of which 15 minutes with some foil on top, and the last 15 minutes without.
12. Enjoy!

How to Store the Mediterranean Vegetable Bake?

• In the fridge, baked: Up to three days in an airtight container.
• In the fridge, before baking: Up to two days, with the baking dish covered with some aluminum foil, cling film, or its own lid.
• In the freezer, baked: Up to three months in an airtight container. Freeze in portions, so that it can be used multiple times, as needed.
• In the freezer, before baking: For up to three months, well sealed. Fully thaw before baking, as per instructions.

How to Reheat the Mediterranean Bake?

This Mediterranean bake can be reheated in the oven or the microwave until thoroughly hot.

Tips & Tricks for Mediterranean Veggie Bake

• Olive Oil: Using good quality olive oil really elevates this recipe. Should you not have it or like it, then use some flavorless vegetable oil, such as sunflower.
• Cherry Tomatoes: For a quick alternative, layer thinly sliced cherry tomatoes or beef tomatoes, instead of the tomato sauce. They may produce some water while baking, so keep in the oven for a bit longer if necessary.
• Baking Dish Prep: Always, and I mean, ALWAYS, add some tomato sauce to the bottom of your baking tray. This will avoid the bottom vegetables getting stuck to the dish or burning.
• Flavors: Feel free to add herbs and spices of your liking to your tomato sauce. Oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, parsley, or even mixed herbs are all great options to make this dish your own.
• Veggies: Should you prefer, you can also use only one or two of the vegetables suggested, as you would for an Eggplant Parmigiana or other Italian recipes. Be mindful that, if going for peppers only, this may end up being too sweet.
• Veggies Part 2: Try to create each layer using only one type of vegetable, so that each slice gets a layer of each.
• Thickness: For ease of cooking and layering, try to cut all the vegetables to the same thickness.
• Sprinkle: Before serving, sprinkle some extra Parmesan cheese on top, or some thinly sliced chives for freshness.

You will soon discover how this is the best of all side dishes you've ever had!

Prepared using very simple ingredients, there is hardly anything that compares to a baking dish filled with goodness!

Use it as a side dish, main course, or meal-prepping idea for your quick lunches.

Preheat the oven, enjoy the layers of veggies, and most of all, drizzle a bit of olive oil!