How to Roast *Any* Vegetable
June 22, 2019 | By Jeremy Scheck | Leave a Comment

If you don’t know how to roast vegetables, you definitely should give it a try because it’s one of the most delicious ways to enjoy nature’s bounty and it happens to be one of the easiest. All you need is a half-sheet pan, some olive oil and s+p and you’re good to go. This technique can be used with practically any vegetable, just keep in mind that the cook time can vary depending on the size and type. Just make sure the veg that you use all fits in a single layer; otherwise it will steam and not get crispy.
Video Tutorial
Ingredients:
- Vegetables of your choice
- Extra-virgin olive oil (no need to use your fanciest variety)
- Kosher or flaky sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- Any additional seasonings
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. On a half-sheet pan, lay the vegetables down in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil—enough to lightly coat when tossed— and sprinkle with generous salt and pepper.
- Roast at 425° F 15-60 minutes, depending on the type of vegetable and desired doneness.
General tips:
- The bigger and denser the vegetable, the longer it takes to cook.
- For reference, smaller vegetables like asparagus, green beans, or tomatoes might be done in 10 or 15 minutes. Crucifers like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts cook between 15-25 minutes. Root vegetables often take between 30 to 45 minutes; squash can take up to an hour, but it varies a lot — you can read more on this on TheKitchn, which is a wonderful resource.
- When I roast some vegetables like potatoes, I prefer to boil them first a little to cook through, then just roast to crisp up.
- As a rule of thumb, be aware of the size of the veggies, and check on them once or twice to gauge how crispy you want them.
Jeremy is a student at Cornell University double majoring in Spanish and Italian with significant coursework in classes such as nutrition, food science and culinary science. He has years of experience as a home cook, working at a local bakery, and teaching cooking classes at Williams-Sonoma. After starting a TikTok account in March 2020 while quarantined in his childhood home, Jeremy’s presence grew to over 1.5 million followers in the first 6 months. During that time, he was featured in People Magazine, Fox News, BBC Radio, BuzzFeed, Tasty, Spoon University, and USA Today, among other media outlets.