Fan-Cut Vegetables in Tomato Sauce

Name: Fan-Cut Vegetables in Tomato Sauce
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Home cooking
Ingredients: Zucchini — 140 g; Eggplant — 140 g; Tomatoes — 130 g; Bell peppers — 80 g; Canned tomatoes — 120 g; Onions — 50 g; Garlic — 5 g; Olive oil — 12 ml; Fresh thyme — 2 g; Salt — 2 g; Ground black pepper — 1 g

A dish inspired by a rat-chef cartoon, but really a rustic Provençal-style vegetable ragu. Thinly sliced vegetables are baked in a rich tomato sauce.

Time: 1 h 15 min
Serving: 284 kcal
Ingredients: ≈ $2.88
Protein: 8 g

Healthy Meat-free Kid-friendly

Ingredients

1 Zucchini≈ $3.00 per kg 140 g
2 Eggplant≈ $4.33 per kg 140 g
3 Tomatoes≈ $4.67 per kg 130 g
4 Bell peppers≈ $6.00 per kg 80 g
5 Canned tomatoespack 400 g ≈ $1.30 120 g
6 Onions≈ $1.60 per kg 50 g
7 Garlic≈ $10.00 per kg 5 g
8 Olive oil 12 ml
9 Fresh thymepack 20 g ≈ $2.50Not in every store: Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods 2 g
10 Salt 2 g
11 Ground black pepper 1 g

Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.

Method

Slice zucchini¹, eggplant², tomato³, and bell⁴ pepper into thin rounds.
Sauté onion⁶ and garlic⁷ in half the oil for 3 minutes until soft.
Add crushed tomatoes³ (with their juice), salt, and pepper, then simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Spread the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
Arrange the vegetable slices in a fan pattern, alternating types, sprinkle with thyme, and drizzle with the remaining oil.
Cover with parchment paper and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the parchment and broil for 5 more minutes to brown the top.

Tips

Why it works: Slice the vegetables thin and even so they bake at the same rate and don't burn. If they're thick, the middle stays raw.
Substitutions: Replace the eggplant with zucchini (140 g) if it tastes bitter. Instead of fresh thyme, use 0.5 tsp dried, but add it at the end so it keeps its aroma.
Common mistakes: If the sauce is too thin after 8 minutes of stewing, the vegetables will turn soggy. Check the thickness after 5 minutes and add 1 tbsp tomato paste if needed.
Storing and reheating: Keep in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes under a lid, or in the oven at 160 °C for 15 minutes covered with foil.
Serve with: Serve with buckwheat or wholegrain bread. For kids, add a piece of cheese to the plate to make it easier to eat.

In short

Marked healthy: the planner picks it more often for the goals “lose weight” and “eat well”.

Comments 0

No comments yet.

Nutrition

Per serving and share of 2000 kcal

Calories	284 kcal	14%
Protein	8 g	10%
Fat	13 g	19%
Carbs	33 g	13%
Per 100 g	42 kcal

Cost

≈ $2.88per serving

Average supermarket prices, BLS (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), October 2026. Your store will differ: products come in packs and each chain sets its own prices. The priciest item here is eggplant.

You will need

Oven, Stove

Plan a week

The planner adds the other meals to fit your budget and goal and builds the shopping list.

Goes well with a side

Asparagus in an Air Fryer with Parmesan Dinner14 min192 kcal≈ $2.70

Air Fryer New Potatoes with Rosemary Dinner25 min333 kcal≈ $1.11

Air Fryer Beets with Feta and Walnuts Dinner28 min419 kcal≈ $2.24

Air Fryer Broccoli with Cheese and Garlic Dinner18 min269 kcal≈ $1.50

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Dinner20 min436 kcal≈ $2.31

Air Fryer Carrots with Honey and Thyme Dinner20 min185 kcal≈ $0.33

What to cook

What to cook with zucchini What to cook with eggplant What to cook with tomatoes What to cook with bell peppers

In collections

Food from books, films and cartoons48 recipes

Similar

All dinners

Crispy Air-Fryer Vegetables with Olive Oil Dinner20 min135 kcal≈ $1.15

Grilled Vegetables Dinner30 min143 kcal≈ $1.34

Zucchini Fritters with Cheese and Garlic Dinner20 min481 kcal≈ $1.66

Boat-Shaped Zucchini with Chicken and Cheese Dinner40 min432 kcal≈ $2.70