Simply Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes
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Simply Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes – This simple veggie medley makes the most of summer produce. My favorite method + half a dozen delicious variations below!
Summa-summa-summa-summa-summatime!
Summertime is the BEST produce time! Everything good is season it seems–peaches, berries, corn, tomatoes, and–of course–zucchini!
While my very favorite way to eat zucchini will probably always be in something decadent like chocolate zucchini cake, this method for simply roasted zucchini and tomatoes will always be a top contender. I ate it for breakfast every day for five months the first year I made it, and I’ve made it about once a week in the summer every year since. I love the combination of flavors and the variety of ways to use it and flavor it.
Here’s how it usually goes down…
HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MY SIMPLY ROASTED ZUCCHINI & TOMATOES:
First off, this is 100% a method rather than a specific “you better follow these directions exactly, or else!” recipe. That said, these ingredients are the main building blocks…
- ZUCCHINI. Summer-ripe zucchini is the perfect base for this recipe. You’ll slice it lengthwise in half (or quarters, if it’s huge!), then cut it horizontally into slices. (See the video if you need a visual!)
- GRAPE OR CHERRY TOMATOES. I prefer using baby tomatoes for my roasted zucchini and tomatoes recipe. They’re juicy and sweet, but also retain quite a bit of their shape when roasting. Feel free to use rainbow or heirloom baby tomatoes for even more color!
- GOOD-QUALITY OLIVE OIL. Olive oil helps give these veggies an amazing texture and keep things from sticking to the pan. My favorite is from Queen Creek Olive Mill (not sponsored, just love them!). Their Balanced oil is my day-to-day favorite, but you can totally use their flavored oils (like Fresh Crush Basil!) to add even more flavor to this roasted zucchini recipe. USE CODE “ONELOVELYLIFE” FOR 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER!
- BALSAMIC VINEGAR. While you’re picking up olive oil, their Balsamic vinegar is my favorite, too! Aged balsamic vinegar is slightly sweeter and more syrupy, which is LOVELY on roasted veggies. The subtle tang and sweetness really make this recipe special.
- SALT + PEPPER + HERBS. Then, for simple (delicious!) seasoning, I like adding salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Basil or cilantro are my favorites, but people have made these with oregano, dill, and rosemary, too!
YUMMY WAYS TO ENJOY MY SIMPLY ROASTED ZUCCHINI & TOMATOES
- WITH EGGS AT BREAKFAST. I originally developed this zucchini and tomatoes recipe as a way to fit in more veggies at breakfast. Paired with scrambled, poached, or soft-boiled eggs, simply roasted veggies make a great start to the day!
- AS A SIDE DISH. My roasted zucchini & tomatoes pair beautifully with lots of main dishes, like chicken, fish, or beef.
- STIRRED INTO QUINOA. One of my regular go-to’s is to stir some of these roasted veggies into some fluffy cooked quinoa. It makes an easy delicious lunch that reheats well for a few days!
- MIXED WITH PASTA. Or, you can easily stir this veggie mixture into some pasta for an easy vegetarian dinner. Feel free to add some mushrooms to the mix or garnish with cheese (like Parmesan) or vegan cheese!
FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES:
LET’S TALK HERBS. Zucchini and tomatoes are kind of a blank slate in the flavor department. They pair beautifully with basil, cilantro, oregano, and more! Feel free to experiment with herbs to give this recipe a different flavor twist.
GIVE IT A FLAVOR BOOST! Similarly, this is really yummy with flavored olive oil or the olive oil and herb combinations I shared in my olive oil and herb cubes post. I LOVE using them in these. Lemon and dill is delicious, rosemary is awesome, and I always love roasted garlic or a little kick from chile oil.
SWITCH UP THE VEGGIES! Sometimes I add a chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, yellow squash, or a bell pepper or two. Anything that’s starting to look a little sad!
DON’T RUSH IT! Part of the beauty of this dish is that the tomatoes get kind of caramelized the longer you put them in the oven. I LOVE the flavor that adds, so I don’t like to rush things.
LOVE THIS SIMPLE RECIPE? YOU MIGHT LIKE…
- How to Make Olive Oil and Herb Cubes
- Vegan Zucchini Fries – LOVE that crispy baked coating, especially with our chipotle ranch!
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Chili Roasted Zucchini
- Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry with Black Pepper Sauce
- My Big Fat Greek Quinoa Salad
Roasted Zucchini & Tomatoes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: about 4
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This is such an easy summer side dish! Below is my basic method. See the notes for lots of variations!
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 2 cups baby tomatoes (grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes)
- 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or, to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or, to taste)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss zucchini and tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and stir to coat. Stir in balsamic vinegar, and add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Spread veggie mixture out onto a baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until you’ve reached your desired doneness (30 minutes will give you a more crisp-tender texture, while 45 minutes will give you some caramelization on the tomatoes that I like)
Notes
VARIATIONS TO TRY:
- Fresh herbs: after roasting, stir in 1-3 Tbsp of fresh basil or cilantro.
- Dried herbs: add 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp oregano to the vegetables along with the salt and pepper.
- More veggies: add 1 diced onion, or 1 diced bell pepper, or 8oz of halved button mushrooms (or any combination!) to the mixture.
- Old Bay: add 1/4-1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning to the vegetables before roasting.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: side dish, vegetables
- Method: Roasting, oven
- Cuisine: American
This looks lovely and I love the idea of making batches!
Can I ask what is probably an obvious question? If you make a batch a week, I guess you keep it in the fridge but how do you then reheat it? My brain doesn’t want to kick in to gear this morning!
No worries! I refrigerate the leftovers, then I reheat them in a pan with eggs, or even use a microwave in a pinch. Hope that helps!
It does thanks! My brain did eventually start working again this afternoon 😛 We don’t actually own a microwave… It is a pain sometimes!
If you make batches cool & put in a baggies & freeze. Take our in morning & either nuke them, heat on stove or but in oven to heat up. I do that w baby red potatoes & they come out beautifully
Great suggestion! Thanks for the tip Debbie!
Zucchini and tomatoes – yum! I’m always looking for healthy side dishes. Thanks for posting this!
It’s as delicious as it is beautiful! I loved it this week and am going to be making it this weekend !
Finally got around to trying this recipe. This is a winner! DH ate two helpings, and he is not a big fan of vegetables!
I made the recipe just as written, with no additions – it’s perfect as is. Next time, I think I’ll add mushrooms, just to change things up.
By the way, I bought a new (to me) brand of balsamic, Star Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. I found it at Tom Thumb grocery. I read an article comparing brands, and this one got high marks for taste and value. It is really really good!
Can you can this recipie?
Jeannine – I wish I knew! Canning is not one of my strong points. I’m sorry!
We do a similar thing, and throw in some black beans and eat over rice. Love the roasting idea!
Ooh yum! That sounds delicious!
This is one of our very favorite veggies dishes!
This looks amazing! One of my favorite veggie combos in the summer–yum!
Have you tried freezing this?
Liz – I haven’t. I do know that zucchini tends to lose a lot of its texture upon thawing, but if they’re mixed into something like eggs or quinoa, that might not bother you too much.
Can I sub the balsamic vinegar? With what?
Madonna – I’ve never substituted it in this recipe. It’s primarily there for a little acidity and a tiny touch of caramelization. If you can’t eat it or don’t tolerate it, you could probably use a squeeze of lemon juice, but the flavor will be a little different and you won’t get the same caramelization.
I’m not crazy about the skin of the tomato peeling when roasting. Does this bother anyone but me?
Mary – I actually love it. 🙂 I love the contrast of the caramelized exterior with the tender interior. You may prefer a roasted veggie blend without tomatoes, like this one, perhaps?
I am the same way, there for I don’t ever use fire roasted tomatoes because f the skin.
This is as good as it looks. I was looking for a little inspiration for something to feed my health crazy calorie wise wife on a special occasion, and this proved so good she asks for it on a regular basis now. I have toyed around with everything from lemon/cilantro to roasted garlic even a little honey. You just can’t screw it up. As the author says, don’t rush it. Letting those tomatoes caramelize is the icing on the cake.
WOW! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thank you so much for taking the time to share a review!
What kind of tomatoes do you recommend for this recipe? Cherry, Roma, Heirloom?
Michelle – I usually use cherry or grape tomatoes. If you can’t find them, you can dice up Roma tomatoes. 🙂
How thick should I cut the zucchini?
It’s a flexible recipe, so it won’t matter too much. I do mine about 1/4″ thick, but a little thicker or thinner won’t make much difference. 🙂
I was telling my husband about at his type of fish my mom made, she added mozzarella cheese to a tomato and zucchini dish. Could you add cheese to this dish? And when would you add it if you did?
Theresa – I’m sure you could! I’d probably add it near the end so it doesn’t burn. Maybe with 5-10 minutes to go?
This is now one of my go-to side dishes! I add fresh herbs from my garden (usually basil, oregano, and rosemary) at the end, but otherwise, I follow the recipe as it is. Perfect for when I want a lot of veggies but don’t want to put in a lot of work.
YUM. Fresh herbs from the garden make everything better!