Roasted Vegetables Tricolore

Roasted mediterranean vegetables are always delicious, but this way of cooking and presenting them gives an extra wow factor, making it the perfect vegetable accompaniment to serve straight from the oven to the table. The left-overs also make a lovely salad/antipasti dish.

It’s important to make sure the vegetables that take longer to cook are cut smaller, and to make sure you don’t undercook the whole thing – in my opinion there isn’t much worse than a spongy raw aubergine and courgette.

The amounts are all rather approximate and the vegetable selection can easily be altered, just make sure you stick to the red, white and green of the Italian flag (sorry for the inferior iPhone photos!)

This recipe is inspired by a recipe that appears in Celia Brooks Brown’s Vegetarian Foodscape

Roasted Vegetables Tricolore (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

serves 4 as a side

• 1 white onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 aubergine, cut into cubes
• 1 large handful of button mushrooms
• 2 courgettes, roughly cubed
• 1/2 jar marinated artichokes (I didn’t have any but they do add to the dish)
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• large handful cherry tomatoes, halved
• small bunch of basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• large pinch of sugar
• pepper, to taste

– Preheat the oven to 230 Degrees Centigrade/Gas mark 8

– Arrange the vegetables in colour coded lines, just like a flag. Red (peppers and tomatoes), white (aubergine, onion and mushroom) and green (courgette and artichoke). Sprinkle with the oregano and scatter over the basil leaves

– Pour over the marinade

– Bake for 45-60 minutes (or longer if needed) until all the vegetables are cooked through and lightly golden, but not frazzled.