Recipe: Roasted Veggies

It’s so easy to eat vegetables in the summer. They look so pretty and you hardly have to do anything to make something amazing...slice a tomato, drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and YUM.

And there’s winter...the time of year where all I really want to eat is some form of carb smothered in some form of cheese. Although I’m always a fan of a great salad, a pile of cool greens can seem a little less appealing on days that look like this:

But there is a delicious way to eat your veggies this time of year: roast ‘em up. Tossing winter produce with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a handful of thyme brings out the very best of almost any vegetable--from cauliflower to squash.



When I roast veggies, I like to make two big trays at once and then use them in dishes throughout the week. Having vegetables prepped in the fridge makes it so much easier to eat something semi-healthy on busy weeknights.

A few tips for the best roasted veggies:

• Cut your vegetables into slightly bigger than bite-size pieces since they’ll shrink up as they cook.
• Roast at a high heat (I usually do 400) to get some caramelization on your veggies and let them get a little brown. You want them to have some color.
• Spread your vegetables in a single layer. If they’re too crowded together, they’ll steam rather than roast--still good but not what you want for this.
• Be liberal with the olive oil...healthy fat is your friend.
• Some cooks like roasting each vegetable separately to achieve the perfect texture for each. Great idea in theory, but sounds like too much work for everyday cooking. I actually like the varying textures of roasting different types of vegetables together. Embrace imperfection!

Here’s what I used for this recipe:

But almost any vegetable is great roasted. Try zucchini, cherry tomatoes, leeks, asparagus, or mushrooms.

Cutting Veggies

• For the butternut squash, cutting the skin off is way easier than peeling. Then cut into rounds and into pieces.
• For parsnips, you’ll want to take out the woody center. Cut the parsnip in half, then into quarters lengthwise. Lay the quartered piece on your cutting board and hold your knife at an angle to cut out the center. Then cut into pieces.
• For the broccoli and cauliflower, cut into florets by finding the natural breaks in the stem.
• For the carrots, I don’t bother peeling them. Just cut into pieces, or, even easier, use baby carrots.
• For the fennel, cut off the top and bottom. Cut the bulb in half and pull off the tough outer layer. Cut in slices.
• For the onion, cut off both ends, then cut in half lengthwise. Pull off the papery skin. Then cut each half in half again and slice.
• For the red pepper (yes, I know it’s not completely in season), cut around the seeds and then into pieces.
• For the garlic, a coarse chop works great. Smash with the side of your knife, pull of the skin, and slice into strips.

The Recipe

Ingredients
4 cups chopped butternut squash (1 small)
3 cups chopped parsnips (3 medium)
3 cups chopped cauliflower (½ head)
2 cups chopped broccoli (1 head)
1½ cups chopped red onion (1 ½ small)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (1 large)
½ cup chopped fennel (1 small bulb)
3 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
⅓ cup olive oil
1 bunch thyme

Directions
Divide your chopped veggies between two large baking sheets (I like to line my with parchment paper for less clean-up). Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add some thyme leaves (just run your fingers down the stem to pull of the leaves) and a few whole sprigs. Toss together.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. Let cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes two large trays of roasted vegetables, about 15 cups.

Get the printable recipe.

Using Veggies
Now that you have two big trays of roasted veggies, here are a few ideas for using them:

• Make an omelet. Whip together a couple eggs. Pour into a pan over medium heat. Add ¾ cup of heated veggies and a little shredded cheese Cook until the bottom of the eggs are barely set. Flip one side over the other and cook until eggs reach desired doneness. Serves 1.
• Make pasta. Toss 7 cups of heated veggies with 1 lb of cooked whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Add a little olive oil and plenty of grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4-6.
• Make pizza. Roll out one pizza dough (I like Trader Joe’s) on a baking sheet. Bake the pizza dough at 550 for 6 minutes. Remove dough from oven, sprinkle with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, spread 4 cups of veggies over the pizza, and dot with ½ cup of ricotta. Cook for 6 more minutes. Serves 4.

How do you like to use roasted veggies?