Roasted Ratatouille Quinoa
on Aug 02, 2021, Updated Jul 10, 2024
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If you are looking for an easy vegan dish that’s loaded with summer veggies, this roasted ratatouille recipe is it. You roast zucchini, squash, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and onions across 2 sheet pans. While that’s happening, you simmer the quinoa on the stove. Then you stir everything together with fresh basil. You can serve it as main or a side.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the sheet pan way of making ratatouille. There is nothing challenging about making ratatouille in the traditional method in a pot on the stove, but I like to do it in the oven. Part of the reason why is because I love the flavor or roasted vegetables with their browned and caramelized edges.
You can make the quinoa while the veggies are in the oven. You have plenty of time because quinoa is one of those pantry ingredients that’s ready very quickly.
This easy vegan recipe is very filling for a main dish or a side dish. The roasted vegetables and quinoa mix so well together. Some of the veggies fall apart and almost soak up the quinoa.
What is Ratatouille?
Provence is a region in southwestern France known for recipes with olives, olive oil, fish and vegetables. Ratatouille is one of the dishes from this Mediterranean locale. The traditional way to make ratatouille is to stew the vegetables on the stove going from one type of veggie to another.
The most common vegetables in ratatouille include:
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Onions
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Zucchini and/or yellow squash: The point of this veggie dish is to use whatever you have in your kitchen. Zucchini and yellow squash are interchangeable. It really comes down to the colors you want to see mixed in the quinoa.
- Eggplant: Look for an eggplant that has smooth and shiny skin that’s also taut. It should feel heavy for its size.
- Peppers: I like red bell peppers. You can substitute yellow or orange peppers too.
- Onions: Use a red, white or yellow onion.
- Tomatoes: Small tomatoes such as cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes work best in this recipe. You don’t have to slice them because when they roast, they soften, wrinkle, and some will burst.
- Dried spices: I season the vegetables in a blend of rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Quinoa: Any color quinoa will work including white, red, black or tricolored.
- Basil: For fresh herbs, I finish the quinoa with chopped basil.
- Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the best taste.
How To Make Roasted Ratatouille Quinoa
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
1. Make the seasoning mix. Combine the rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Toss the zucchini, squash and eggplant with half the olive oil and half the dried seasoning mix on a baking sheet. Spread everything across the pan in a single layer.
3. Toss the tomatoes, peppers and onions with the remaining oil and seasoning mix. Spread the vegetables into a single layer on the pan.
4. Roast the vegetables until the zucchini, squash and eggplant are lightly browned and tender, the tomatoes and peppers are slightly wrinkled, and the onions are translucent. This will take 30-35 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through roasting.
5. Make the quinoa. Do this when the vegetables are roasting in the oven. Combine the quinoa and water in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the grains are tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
6. Stir the roasted vegetables, quinoa and basil in a large bowl.
Serving
As mentioned, this is recipe is a good choice for a vegan main course that you can serve with a salad like an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette, a classic house salad or an Italian chopped salad. Leave out the cheese in these salads to keep the meal plant-based.
You can also serve this ratatouille recipe as a side dish with proteins like chicken, steak, shrimp or salmon.
Leftovers & Storage
Let leftovers cool to room temperature before putting them in an airtight container. You can keep them in the fridge up to 3 days. It’s easiest to reheat them in the microwave.
You can also eat them cold as a quinoa salad. Go ahead and stir in baby arugula or spinach and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette or red wine vinaigrette.
Because this ratatouille has quinoa mixed into it, I don’t recommend freezing it. If you just roast the vegetables, you can freeze them in an airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature before reheating.
Recipe Tips
Keep your eye on the vegetables as they roast. Consistent oven temperature can be tricky when you have two pans in the oven. Rotate them as necessary and take one out of the oven before the other if the veggies are done.
You can stir in more quinoa and change the balance of quinoa to veggies. This will also make the recipe go farther and create more servings without any additional work.
Barley, farro or even brown rice are good substitutes. Just keep in mind that as the recipe is written with quinoa, it is gluten free.
It is ok to adjust the proportions of vegetables. For instance, if you are a huge bell pepper fan, you can increase the amount of peppers and reduce the amount of another veggie. You should aim for roasting 2 sheet pans of vegetables.
More Quinoa Recipes
Kale Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Tomatoes
Blueberry Corn Salad
Herby Lemon Quinoa
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Vegetable Lemon Tahini Couscous
Sheet Pan Baked Feta with Vegetables
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and Halloumi
Roasted Vegetable Chickpea Pasta Salad
Egg White Frittata
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Find more roasted vegetable ideas in my seasonal roundup with everything from vegetarian mains to easy side dishes and meal prep tips.
Roasted Ratatouille Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/2 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl combine the rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- On one sheet pan, toss the zucchini, squash and eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the dried seasoning mix. Spread into a single layer.
- On another sheet pan, toss the tomatoes, peppers and red onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the rest of the dried seasoning mix. Spread into a single layer.
- Roast the vegetables for 30-35 minutes until the zucchini, squash and eggplant are lightly browned, the tomatoes and peppers are slightly wrinkled and the onions are translucent. Rotate the pans halfway through roasting. (If the vegetables on one pan are done before the other, then take that pan out of the oven.)
- While the vegetables are roasting, make the quinoa on the stove. Combine the quinoa and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the grains are cooked. Let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- In a large bowl, stir together the roasted vegetables, quinoa and basil.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I doubled the recipe and added Paella seasoning and veg bullion too the quinoa. Drizzles a little bit of hot honey! Absolutely fantastic. Thank you
Ooh! Hot honey sounds wonderful!