Cuddle up with a big bowl of this tasty Rustic Italian Vegetable Bake that is brimming with feel good ingredients, especially when you need to hit the reset button before, after, and even during the holidays. This soul-warming deliciousness is easy to make, hearty, and ultra-satisfying. Perfectly seasoned and bakes to perfection, it gives your body those soul-warming flavors that you have been craving.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, and no highly processed ingredients.
Hi there, Ameera here!
We love rustic dishes. They just shout “dig in and feed my soul” when you look at them. They typically aren’t all that pretty, hence the name “rustic” in the title, but they sure do taste good!
This dish is all that and more with wonderfully flavored potatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and cannellini beans.
This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.
Is It a Stew?
We are so glad you asked. No, it is not a stew. It is just a wonderfully seasoned dish of roasted deliciousness. The veggies tend to break down into a stew-like consistency, but there isn’t enough “broth/gravy” to consider it a stew.
Helpful Tips
The key thing to ensure a perfectly baked dish is to make sure all the potatoes are perfectly tender. You need to test several of them by piercing them with a sharp knife.
Additionally, try not to mix them with a heavy hand. You don’t want the veggies to break down too much, but if they do, no worries. It still tastes AH-MAZING!!!
I’ll let Mom tell you more!
Hi! Robin here.
What I love about this dish is that it is super-duper easy to make. Just throw all the ingredients into a roasting pan or Dutch Oven, cover it, and you are pretty much good to go!
I love the beautiful seasonings of this dish, sooooo tasty! TP109 loved it and pretty much gobbled down all the kitchen tests in a flash and was looking for more.
We hope you give this deliciousness a try! We just know you are going to love it!
If you try this delicious pasta dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Products Used:
- Large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven, skillet, or similar large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid
Rustic Italian Vegetable Bake
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 70 Minutes (+10 Minutes)
- Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This tasty and comforting Rustic Italian Vegetable Bake is easy to make, ultra-satisfying, and brimming with feel good ingredients and flavors.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, and no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
Bake Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced in wedges
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 lbs. Russet potatoes, unpeeled, sliced in wedges *
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into thick rounds *
- 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
- 2 to 4 Tablespoons vegetable broth *
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoon dried minced onions
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried ground rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Other Ingredients:
- 1 – [ 15.5 oz. can ] cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Optional Toppings:
- Nutritional yeast (or Vegan Parmesan Cheese)
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Dried red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix to combine, set aside.
- Place all the Bake Ingredients and Spice/Herb mix into a deep ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven or similar roasting pan. Mix well everything to ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated. Sprinkle the top lightly with some additional sea salt and black pepper. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, then place in a preheated 400 F oven and roast for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, remove from the oven and gently mix in the cannellini beans, cover and return to the oven for another 5 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are perfectly tender. The 2nd baking time is largely dependent upon the size of the potatoes. (see notes on baking time).
- After 5 minutes (or 20 minutes), remove from the oven, remove the lid and allow the heat to escape for approx. 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
- Sprinkle individual portions with nutritional yeast (or Vegan Parmesan Cheese) and serve with some freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Stock Amount: The amount of vegetable stock is a personal preference. This is not a stew, so there is little broth, but the veggies are coated in a nice thin-like rustic gravy. If you want more “gravy”, use 4 tablespoons of vegetable stock.
*Baking Soda: The baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture will bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity.
*Dried Thyme Crushed Leaves: We use Penzeys French Thyme. It has amazing flavor. If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme, but use half the amount.
*Zucchini Texture: Because the zucchini is in the oven for a long period of time, it will be mushy. This is a rustic bake, so this is expected. However, we know there may be folks who prefer a firmer texture. Please feel free to add the zucchini later in the oven baking process if you do not enjoy mushy zucchini.
*Potato Wedges: Potato wedges take longer to cook than cubed potatoes. If you are looking to shorten the oven time, then cube the potatoes. When checking for tenderness of the potatoes, be sure to check multiple potatoes as the ones that are on the bottom tend to cook faster than the ones on top. Avoid constantly stirring the mixture as this will cause the vegetables to break down. Gently stir, if needed to rotate the potatoes.
*Baking Time: We highly recommend using a ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid as it intensifies the heat and conducts heat better. Whenever you are cooking potatoes with tomatoes, the acid from the tomatoes toughens the potatoes’ cellular wall and makes it harder for liquids to penetrate and soften the potatoes. In other words, it will take longer in the oven for the potatoes than one might traditionally think. We have had Readers tell us that when they don’t use a Dutch oven that it has taken up to 75 to 90 minutes for their potatoes to soften. Additionally, constantly opening the oven door loses temperature in the oven adding additional time for the potatoes to soften.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: Makes 4-5 servings.
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.
This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.
This looks delicious!! Would this freeze well? I like to make food for my son to take back with him after he’s visited us so he’ll have easy to heat up meals.
Hi there Deb 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words! We have not tried freezing this dish, but we think that it would work. Keep in mind potatoes when frozen and thawed sometimes lose their structure – the flavors will still be delicious.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I thought it froze well. I love this dish. I mash it up and use it in quesadilla’s. Yummy.
Hi there Amber 🙂
Yaaaayyy! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review with us. Love that you mash it up and use it in quesadillas. We appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I would not have thought of this! A great idea. 🙂
I love your blog! I have been following Dr. McDougall & CHef AJ for quite a while and agree that a plant based diet is the way to go, for me at least! I also live in Ohio! Go Buckeyes! Thank you for so many awesome recipes!
Hi there Carole 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words, and we are so glad that you have been enjoying our recipes. Glad to e-meet a fellow Ohioan! Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
O-H!
Hi there Amber 🙂
I-O
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hello Ladies, I have just popped this “bake” into the oven! It was super easy to throw together. I also added 2 Field Roast Apple Sage sausages, cut into thick rounds, and cut down a little on the potatoes. Just one question; what would you serve with this? I’d be interested to here any suggestions. Much thanks.
Hi there Bridget 🙂
Awesome! We are so excited that you are giving this dish a try! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Honestly, in our opinion this dish is a complete dish as is with starches, veggies, and protein-packed beans. We just eat this on it its own for dinner/supper. You could also add a nice side salad if you’d like as well.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
can I do that in a instant pot
Hi there Coralie 🙂
Doing this recipe in an Instant Pot will change the overall consistency of the dish. We are sure that it can be done in an Instant Pot, but liquid ratios would need to adjust because there isn’t evaporation that happens, additionally we do not have any settings for you. We feel for this recipe, baking in the oven creates a flavor and textual consistency that may not be able to be achieved in an Instant pot. However, if you give it a try, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi there Robin and Ameera. I just came across this recipe on Pinterest (rustic Italian vegetable bake) as I am always looking for good plant based recipes and this looks sooo good. Can’t wait to try it. Also, I love the idea of a mother/daughter healthy recipe blog. I read a little of your bios and found it very interesting. I was surprised to learn that Ameera is a professional belly dancer! How cool. I started browsing some of your other recipes and looks forward to trying them all. The sweet potato breakfast bowls and the peanut butter banana breakfast… Read more »
Hi there Susan 🙂
We are so thrilled to hear that you found us on Pinterest and plan to give this recipe as well as our other recipes a try! We truly appreciate your kind words and support of our little blog. We have so much fun creating recipes together in the kitchen and sharing them with our WFPB community. Glad to be on this journey of health with you! Thank you so much for taking the time to write and share with us <3
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hello! This is in the oven right now. I added an eggplant that needed to be used. We have made several of your recipes and they always turn out deliciously. Thank you so much for the time, effort, and energy that goes into your recipes and blog.
Hi there Yasmyna 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so thrilled that you have been enjoying our recipes! We love the addition of eggplant! We hope you enjoyed this dish as much as we do 😀 Thank you so much for your kind words, support, and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Very tasty and lots of flavor. I even added kale since I find it too hard to eat raw. Also love that I can throw it all in a pot and wait for the oven to do the cooking! Thank you!
Hi there Anita 🙂
Woo hoo!!! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe! Love the addition of wholesome kale – yum! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This was dinner tonight and I must say it was absolutely delicious! Perfect blend of seasonings. Husband loved it and said he’s looking forward to leftovers.
Make this, you won’t be sorry.
Hi there Carol 🙂
Woooot! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome feedback, recipe endorsement, and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Has anyone tried this with the addition of broccoli and carrots?
Hi there Carin 🙂
We aren’t sure that broccoli would be the best addition to this recipe; however, we think carrots would work well. Just cut into small chunks to that they are tender at the same time the potatoes are tender.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Second recipe I have tried from this site. Loved it! Will experiment by adding other veges as well. Have a couple more of your recipes on the meal plan this week. Looking forward to more delicious meals.
Hi there Maura 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so thrilled to hear that you loved this recipe and plan to make more of our recipes. We appreciate you sharing your awesome feedback and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
What is the sodium on the nutrition info? Most recipes include amount of sodium.
Hi there Teresa 🙂 Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We do not include the sodium content on our nutrition info because the sodium can vary greatly depending on the products/brands/ingredients used. For example, if you are using canned beans vs cooked beans from dried, different can goods have different sodium levels, vegetable broth sodium varies, plus sea salt amounts can be adjusted to personal preference. You can always use an app like cronometer and include the exact products and ingredient amounts to create a more in-depth nutrition facts label. Hope this helps and happy cooking! -Ameera… Read more »
Would you serve anything as a side dish with this and if so, what would you suggest?
Hi there Frankie 🙂
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We serve this dish on its own as we feel like it’s a complete meal with the starch, veggies, and beans. However, if we wanted a little something extra, we’d probably serve with a refreshing side salad. We hope this helps!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi there. I tried baking this tonight in a skillet with foil tightly sealed on top since I don’t have a Dutch oven. At about 60 minutes total cooking time the potatoes were still hard…. ? help!
Hi there Kelsey 🙂 Oh no, we are so sorry to hear that your potatoes weren’t done. We highly recommended using a ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid as it intensifies the heat and conducts heat better. Whenever you are cooking potatoes with tomatoes, the acid from the tomatoes toughens the potatoes’ cellular wall and makes it harder for liquids to penetrate and soften the potatoes. In other words, it will take longer in the oven for the potatoes than one might traditionally think. We have had Readers tell us that when they don’t use a Dutch oven that it has taken… Read more »
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! Hubby loved it, too. Thank you so much. We will continue to enjoy it.
Hi there Francesca 🙂
We are super glad that you and your husband loved this recipe. Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I just made this for dinner as I have quite a few veggies on hand. I added some cauliflower and some Granny Smith apples. I used tomato paste mixed into my broth because I am not a fan of cooked tomatoes. This was divine! I love your blog and I am a big fan of rustic cooking. My parents are Haitian and I often tell people that our food does not look good but it tastes amazing. I respect the rustic style so keep bringing these beautiful dishes ladies! I am so glad I found you all on Pinterest.
Hi there NaTasha 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe – *doing a happy dance*. Thank you so much for sharing your adjustments and wonderful feedback with us! We truly appreciate you, your support, and your encouragement.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I am all set to make this delicious-looking recipe for dinner today. But I just discovered that the lid to my Dutch oven should not go in oven! Would covering tightly with aluminum foil work?
Hi there Pam 🙂
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We apologize for the late response. Yes, you can cover it will aluminum foil; however, we feel that you may need to cook the dish longer than expected.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi, my son is dating a girl who is vegan. I’ve never made vegan food. I came across this and thought I could easily prepare this for her. They will be here Saturday, the day after Christmas. I don’t have cooking pot with a lid that you suggest. I have casserole glassware and a ceramic bowl with no lid?? What would you suggest? I was thinking just cube the potatoes, put the zucchini in later since it will probably need to bake longer and put foil on it. Also what do you think about adding brussel sprouts to it? And… Read more »
Hi there Shelley 🙂 Thank you so much for reaching out to us! We are so glad that you are interested in making this dish. It is very thoughtful and kind of you to want to prepare a vegan dish for your son’s girl friend. This is a vegan dish, but also Whole Food Plant Based, which is a healthy, oil-free dish. We just want to keep that in mind, as it isn’t laden with fat, which sometimes can be a little hard to adjust to if one is not used to this way of eating. It is a delicious… Read more »
I followed the recipe exactly and liked how it was pretty hands off and cooked perfectly in the time allotted. There was something about the seasoning that I didn’t love. There were a lot of leftovers so I made couscous as it was juicier than I expected. I’ve enjoyed eating it for lunch this week but probably won’t make it again. Thank you though!!
Bridget, Thank you for your feedback. Just curious, are you WFPB?
-Ameera and Robin
Delicious recipe! I ate it chunky and puréed some with additional broth for my husband who has been ill and isn’t eating solid food. He loved the “creamy soup” version of the dish. 🙂
I used 1.5 pounds of potatoes, but next time will use 1 pound of potatoes and increase the other veggies. As the recipe is written, I was afraid there would be too much seasoning, but the seasoning was perfect and the casserole smelled heavenly as it baked!
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hi there Bethann 🙂
Woo hoo! We are SUPER excited you enjoyed this recipe. We appreciate you sharing your wonderful review. Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This is the perfect recipe for our vegan/vego/carnivore family! Everyone loved it, we had fried halloumi, sausages and vegan felafel as sides to go with it depending on preference. Thanks so much!
Hi there Jill 🙂
Yaaaayyy! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This looks so good! What a great side for a summer meal!
Hi there Suzanne 🙂
We hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as we do! Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Does it reheat well?
Hi there Vanessa,
We sincerely apologize for the late response. Yes, it reheats best in the microwave with a tiny splash of water.
Thank you.
-Ameera and Robin
Having grandkids and wanting to get potatoes kook faster, we started cooking then in the microwave between 4 – 6 minutes depending on the amount & what dish is being made.to shorten cooking time.
Hi there Bill,
Great Idea!!! Thank you so much for the cooking tip that works great for you.
-Ameera and Robin
I’m going to the farmers market today to pick up veggies for this dish, but I’m wondering if I can make it in my crockpot since it is going to be over 90 degrees today and I have no desire to turn on my oven!
Hi there Rebecca,
Thank you for your question. We don’t recommend using a crock pot as it takes quite a bit of time for the potatoes to become tender.
-Ameera and Robin
Please please give complete nutritional info! People who are on low sodium diets are often forgotten!
Hi there Kathy, THAT is the exact reason why we do NOT include it. People who are on low-sodium diets or have heart and kidney restrictions really need to watch their sodium levels. There are waaaaay too many products out there with varying levels of sodium. Everything from vegetable broth, to canned veggies, to differing tomato products all have such varying levels of sodium that we do not want to be responsible for indicating sodium levels when the market is flooded with brands of varying levels. Folks that need to watch their sodium intake should not rely on a recipe… Read more »
I do think the seasoning is off & the Russets became grainy.
Hi there Susan,
We are so sorry that this recipe did not work out for you; however, you can see by the countless positive reviews on all our social media platforms that the seasoning for this recipe works perfectly for most people. The Russet potatoes also worked really well for this recipe as well. Sometimes, a recipe that works well for most, sometimes does not work well for everyone. We understand this and we are sorry that this recipe did not work well for you.
-Ameera and Robin
Thank you for this recipes! I am making it this weekend. Was wondering if this could be done in a slow cooker? Just thought.
Hi there Sharon,
Awesome! This recipe could potentially work in a slow cooker; however, the experience will be completely different. This recipe is an oven roasted method where the veggies take on that oven roasted flavor versus a slow cooker basically slowly boils the food. We hope this helps.
-Ameera and Robin
This is a great recipe. So tasty! I used sweet potatoes.
Hi there Carl,
YAYYYY!!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much.
-Ameera and Robin
The flavor was good, but it was very mushy. I baked for 40 minutes plus 5 after the beans.
Hi there Amanda,
We are happy that you enjoyed the flavor. Stews do tend to be soft and mushy. We are sorry that you did not enjoy the texture.
-Ameera and Robin
Great meal. The only thing I did differently is added the zucchini at the same time as the beans. I like my veggies a little firm.
Hi there Grace,
YAYYY!!! We are so happy that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for the great review.
-Ameera and Robin
Delicious recipe! I made a few changes. I started by sautéing some mushrooms with garlic and onion in vegetable broth, I used Italian seasoning instead of making my own because I don’t have everything on the list. I added the zucchini at the 40 minute mark along with kidney beans, pinto and black bean mix. I will definitely make this again. It was really good and my husband who is not a vegan really liked it as well.
Hi there Ruth,
WOOO HOOOO!!! We are thrilled that you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it. We are happy that your add-ins and tweaks worked out great. Thank you for taking time to leave us a great review.
-Ameera and Robin