Sheet-pan roasted root vegetables
Two pans of carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and red onion roasted golden with rosemary, a big, colorful side that mostly cooks itself.
- 60 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 8
- About $1.19 a serving
- 200 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. Whatever’s left keeps for tomorrow.
Ingredients
For 8 servings.
- 1½ lb carrots
- 1 lb parsnips
- 2 sweet potatoes, large, scrubbed
- 2 red onions
- 1½ tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
From your pantry
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 200 calories, 3 g protein, 33 g carbs and 7 g fat, and costs about $1.19 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No fresh rosemary? Fresh thyme works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and it to 400°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the carrots and parsnips and cut them into 1-inch chunks.
Peel. Peeling means removing the skin with a vegetable peeler or a small knife. It takes off tough or bitter skins, though potato and carrot skins are fine to leave on unless the recipe insists.
How you’ll know: The color underneath is even all over, with no patches of skin left behind.
Dolly’s tip: Parsnips are fat at the top and skinny at the bottom. Cut the thick end in half first so every piece is about the same size.Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch , leaving the skin on, and cut each onion into 8 wedges.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Divide everything between two large , then with the oil and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and rosemary.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
with your hands right on the pans until every piece is shiny, then spread it into one layer.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
40 to 45 minutes, switching the pans between racks and halfway, until at the edges and soft when poked with a fork.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Timer: 42 min
Dolly’s tip: Swapping the racks evens out the browning, because the top of the oven runs hotter.Serve hot or warm. To make ahead, roast up to a day early, chill, and reheat at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
When you host a dinner, Dollop builds the menu around your guests’ allergies, works out a cooking timeline back from when everyone sits down, and puts it all on one grocery list.
