A roasted vegetable done right can turn any veggie naysayer into a believer. The best part about roasting vegetable is that virtually anything goes, no complex recipes need to be followed. Most people have everything they need (oil, salt and pepper) for roasting already in their pantry. If a few simple rules are heeded, then you can be on your way to cooking up flavor rich vegetables everyone will love.
- Oven Temperature. Be sure you put veggies in a hot oven. I think 400 to 425 degrees is the best roasting temp. Any more than 425 degrees can blacken and burn vegetables on the outside without cooking the middle. Any lower than 400 degrees would extend cooking time and not provided the desired toasty edges that makes roasting so delicious.
- Give your veggies space. Spread your vegetables out on the baking dish. Leave a generous amount of space between each piece. If the food is stacked on top of each other or to close it will steam and not roast. Don’t be afraid to split up your product. It still works great to roast two pans at a time, just keep them in the middle of the oven and rotate the pans halfway through cooking.
- Don’t skimp on the oil and spices. Add enough oil for all the veggies to be coated but not so much that oil starts to pool at the bottom of your bowl or on the roasting pan. Same general guide for salt, pepper or any desired spices, add enough so that each piece looks evenly seasoned.
