Roasted Vegetables

Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite tricks.  Roasting brings out the deep flavors in vegetables, softens them on the inside and crisps up their edges, and results in a platter of veggies that even picky eaters will love.

Try roasting broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, carrots, onions, tomatoes, jicama, kale, baby bok choy, or really nearly anything!)

It's more of a method than a recipe.  All you do is place the vegetables in a roasting pan and toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Then put the veggies in a 400-450 degree oven and roast them until they are tender on the inside.  Depending on the vegetable this can take anywhere from 15-45 minutes.  Give them a stir from time to time so that they cook evenly.

(You can also add spices if you'd like: for example, I like cauliflower roasted with cumin and cinnamon.  Another great way to add a kick is to toss the veggies with citrus zest and juice after they finish roasting: try lemon zest with asparagus or orange zest with broccoli.)

This is a photo of quartered brussels sprouts and cauliflower florets, pre-roasting:

With this particular batch of veggies, I decided to toss them with pasta.  I think I added lightly-cooked tomatoes, white beans and kalamata olives to finish off the pasta.  I can't remember exactly how I went about it, but that's what I love about pasta: You can put pretty much anything on it and it always tastes good.