You are here: Home > Recipes > Courgette & Aubergine Bake

Courgette & Aubergine Bake

This was a great way of using up some spare courgettes and aubergines, towards the end of my veg box's week.

And it's so easy!

No pre-cooking, just shove everything in the casserole dish and let the oven do the rest.

I even managed to hide some spinach in the sauce, to get it past my toddler unnoticed. :-)

The parmesan crust turns this from a simple bake into a delicious family meal.

	Ingredients
	Serves 4 2-3 courgettes (zucchini) 1 large aubergine or 2 small ones - note: late season work best - see below 1 tin tomatoes 100g fresh spinach 1 clove garlic Handful fresh herbs, e.g. parsley, thyme leaves, sage - whatever you fancy! Salt & pepper to taste 50 grated parmesan (optional) - if you're stuck, Cheddar will do.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 C.
Wash the courgettes and the aubergine. Cut into 5mm slices.
Arrange the slices in an oven-proof dish - a layer of courgettes, then a layer of aubergine. Keep going until they are all in the dish.
Put the garlic and tinned tomatoes into a jug and liquidise them. Then add the spinach and herbs (if using) and liquidise again. Season to taste.
Pour the tomato sauce over the aubergine and courgette. There's no need to mix, it'll do that during cooking.
Sprinkle the top with a thick layer of grated parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Delicious with fresh green vegetables or a side salad.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

40 minutes

Notes & Variations

This recipe works best with later-season aubergines, which have ripened in the sun and are full of flavour.

Early-season, UK-grown aubergines tend to be quite bitter and work better in recipes that pre-roast them.

So it's probably best to avoid this with aubergines from June / July if they're grown in the UK.

Veg Box Recipes Newsletter

Make sure you always stay up-to-date with our latest seasonal hints, tips and recipes. Plus exclusive discounts and competitions from ethical companies.

And it's free!

Subscribe now

Ratings & Reviews

Rating	Comments
8/10	YOU NEED SALT! (You won't die from it)
10/10	I have made a similar variation using feta, yes you need salt but not that much if you use feta, lots of black pepper is the answer
1/10	I didn't like it.
9/10	great vegetarian dish
7/10	This didn't work spectacularly well, but I suspect that because I had far too many vegetables in there so the ratio didn't work. Another time I wll double the tomatoes and instead of whizzing up the spinach in the sauce, I will layer it up with the other vegetables. We allthought that a little mozarella torn up between the layers would work well too. I also agree with the first comment - I salted individual layers - very little, but it makes a huge difference rather than expecting the sauce to carry it all.
9/10	This is a great lazy persons dish to accompany anything, throw it in the dish, put in the the oven, and then sort out the rest of the meal ! I tried adding some chopped orange & yellow sweet peppers which gave it a bit more zing, and black pepper, no salt!
7/10	I stupidly tried to incorporate everyone's advice as listed, ignoring my own cardinal rule 'cook to the recipe first time around'! Subsequently it was a disaster HOWEVER - I am positive that following the recipe would have worked alot better! The veg was nice and soft and the spinach blends well (I used chard actually) into the tomato sauce. If you don't usually salt veg - DON'T BOTHER SALTING THIS IT WILL RUIN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8/10	Recipe made a delicious dish. I changed it slightly by adding seasoning, layers of spinach, mushrooms and I spruced the sauce up by adding shallots, basil and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. I used mozzarella and parmesan and it tasted great!
10/10	it was so nice
8/10	tried straight from recipe and felt it better second time around with layers of cheese in between, plus used sliced mushrooms
8/10	The way that I was shown from Cyprus is the vegetarian version. With the garlic onions aubergine/cougette layered and spiced purified tomatoes added. Simply top the dish wish Cypriot Halloumi chesse half way through bake. No need for so much salt as the cheese is salty enough Voila. Serve with crusty bread

Rate It!

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us what you think of it.

Find more recipes

Aubergine Recipes

	Melanzane Parmigiano Parmesan-baked aubergine. Simply delicious. If you're one of the many who's not convinced by the humble aubergine, I suggest you give this one a go.
	Autumn Pizza Don't be put off making your own pizza by thinking it's complicated - it's actually really simple. This one uses autumn veg box ingredients to make a delicious topping.
	Vegetable Tempura Although it's deep-fried, as long as the oil is hot enough and you drain the tempura after cooking, it's not that bad...! Quick, delicious and a nice change from sticking your veg in a curry!

Back to recipe index

Courgette Recipes

	Vegetable Tempura Although it's deep-fried, as long as the oil is hot enough and you drain the tempura after cooking, it's not that bad...! Quick, delicious and a nice change from sticking your veg in a curry!
	Thai Style Squash Curry This curry is easy to make and pretty quick. Just make the paste, chop the veggies and cook it all in a wok (or large frying pan) with the coconut milk. Works well with pumpkin, too.
	Secret Vegetable Pasta This pasta recipe is a great way of using up seasonal veg box leftovers. And it's a great way of sneaking in some extra veggies without any fussy eaters noticing! This version uses runner beans and courgettes.
	Courgette Soup What? Courgette soup? Are you sure? Yes! Sceptical at first, but now converted. Amazingly simple and a great way of using and preserving a glut of courgettes.
	Early Courgette Salad Early courgettes are packed with flavour and are a real treat, whereas later in the season you may be fed up with them! So here’s a recipe to help you enjoy them with in-season broccoli.
	Yellow Courgette And Mange Tout Bring out the buttery flavour of these delicious spring and summer vegetables with this simple recipe.
	Lemon Butter Courgettes This is a delicious recipe for using early-season courgettes - packed with flavour.
	Courgette With Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce This recipe is a scrummy way of enjoying courgettes - particulary if you fancy a change. The sun-dried tomatoes and wholegrain mustard bring out the sunshine flavour of the summer veggies.
	Warm Summer Courgette & Runner Bean Salad With Artichoke Hearts This delicious summer salad is best served warm. The courgettes and runner beans take on a buttery flavour, enhanced by the creaminess of the artichoke hearts.
	Three Bean Summer Soup This is a delicious summer soup. Lighter than those of winter, it makes the most of the new season’s vegetables, whilst still filling you up and being wonderfully warming. You can use haricot beans or butter beans for this recipe, depending which you prefer. The main thing is to stick to what’s in season with the vegetables. That way they’ll be packed with flavour – and good for you too!
	Spring Pasta Cooking spring / early summer vegetables lightly and serving them with pasta is a delicious way to enjoy the first signs of summer. This recipe is quick and easy and only uses one pan – always a bonus...
	Spring Vegetable Fricassee This dish is easy to make and browning the finished dish under a grill turns it into something special. You can use a variety of seasonal veggies, so try out whatever’s around. The vegetables suggested here are just a starting point!

Back to recipe index

Parmesan Recipes

	Melanzane Parmigiano Parmesan-baked aubergine. Simply delicious. If you're one of the many who's not convinced by the humble aubergine, I suggest you give this one a go.
	Red Onion Risotto You can use red onions in place of white onions in most recipes. But here's one that we've developed specially for in-season red onions. It's great with added spinach, black nero cabbage or even kale.
	Kale Pesto Pasta This is a brilliant way of sneaking kale past fussy eaters. The garlic helps reduce the bitterness of the kale and the pine nuts add a sweet, nutty flavour. It also works well with spinach, chard or black nero cabbage.
	Broad Bean Risotto This recipe is easy to do, and takes about 1/2 hour. Though you have to be patient if you're skinning the individual beans.
	Romanesco Cheese Use your favourite cheeses in the sauce for this recipe. It's important that it has a good flavour, or it will taste bland against the romanesco. This recipe also works well with broccoli or cauliflower.
	Lentil Spag Bol Spaghetti Bolognese doesn't have to be reserved for meat-eaters. If you fancy a change, this veggie option is delicious. And it's a good way of using up spare veg box tomatoes and onions. See the variations for ideas of how to use up spare carrots, mushrooms or even runner beans in this dish.
	Swiss Chard Pesto This recipe is a variation on a traditional Egyptian dish. It includes the addition of toasted pine nuts and parmesan, to give more breadth to the flavour.
	Quick Asparagus & Parmesan Treat This asparagus & parmesan recipe is quick, easy and delicious. The simple ingredients complement each other to make a great asparagus starter or even a light lunch. It works best with fresh, in-season asparagus, as this is most tender and has a great flavour.
	Spinach And Rocket Salad This salad is easy to make and is great for a sunny spring day. You can add even more flavour by using the Parmesan shavings. The key is to wash and dry the salad leaves thoroughly, so the dressing clings to them, giving a wonderful flavour.
	Roasted Asparagus Deliciously simple. Topped with a simple dressing and slivers of Parmesan, this makes a great side dish.
	Tomato And Rocket Risotto This is a deliciously peppery risotto recipe, using in-season rocket and tomatoes. The Puy lentils give it a nutritious boost.
	Spinach, Blue Cheese & Pine Nut Lasagne This is an amazingly delicious recipe for spinach lasagne. We kept going back for more. It takes a little effort, so you might want to make double and freeze half for another day - if it lasts that long! Also works well with Swiss chard or kale.
	Leek and Butterbean Bake This delicious leek recipe makes the most of the sweetness of leeks, with the creaminess of the butterbeans. The Parmesan crust gives it a delicious crunch - and the herbs smell fantastic, as it's cooking.
	Purple Cauliflower and Romanesco with Blue Cheese Sauce This was initially an experiment, but as a recipe for purple cauliflower and / or Romanesco, it's delicious. It takes 20 minutes start to finish and looks impressive, too.