Eating as seasonally as possible is one of my favorite things as there’s an abundance of amazing produce all year round. While spring and summer may get the most attention, there’s something incredibly satisfying about the root vegetables frequently found in the fall or winter. In addition to being delicious and hearty, they’re so easy to prepare—just peel, slice, and roast! While I wouldn’t eat a raw butternut squash (and I’m not super eager to gnaw on a raw parsnip), roasting brings out all the natural sweetness and sugars and not only changes the taste, but brings out delightfully bronzed and crispy textures.
Ingredients:
- 1 large yam or sweet potato (approximately 1 pound)
- 1 pound carrots
- 1 pound parsnips
- 1 small butternut squash
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Flaked sea salt (like Maldon) for finishing
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions:
Peel first four ingredients and chop into (as uniform as possible) 1-inch pieces. At this point you can cover chopped and prepared vegetables and refrigerate for a few hours or up to a day.
When ready to roast, preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide vegetables between the two sheet pans (ensuring they’re in one layer and not overcrowded). Drizzle the olive oil over all the veggies and season with kosher salt and pepper and then toss vegetables lightly.
Place sheet pans in oven on two separate racks and roast for 5 minutes before reducing oven to 425 degrees and roasting an additional 25-30 minutes. Toss vegetables once or twice during cooking so they evenly brown. Veggies are done when they’re golden brown on the outside and tender on the middle. By keeping the vegetables in their own piles, you can easily remove any that cook faster than others.
To serve, transfer veggies to a bowl or platter. Sprinkle with sea salt and parsley, and perhaps an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes:
- In theory, if all the veggies are the same size they should cook at the same time, but it never hurts to leave them in their own piles while roasting so you can monitor the browning and cooking—maybe you have unusually (naturally) sweetened carrots or dry, tough parsnips that need either more or less time.
- Can you line the sheet pans with parchment for easier cleanup? If you must. I don’t advise as I find veggies brown the best with direct contact on the sheet pan.
- Any other tips? Yes, don’t overcrowd the pans otherwise the veggies will steam, not roast and caramelize.
