Cooking technique: Roasting vegetables

A simple trip to the oven can transform raw vegetables into sugary delights with virtually no effort at all. Cooking at high temperatures leads to caramelization — the internal water found in vegetables evaporates and the natural sugars become concentrated, deepening the flavor and leading to a sweet, nutty taste. Here’s how to get delicious, perfectly roasted vegetables every time.

1. Dry your veggies after rinsing them — they’ll brown better and not stick as much to the pan.

2. Cut vegetables into uniform-size pieces so they’ll cook at the same rate. And if you’re mixing and matching vegetables, make sure they have similar cooking times. Otherwise, start the veggies with the longest cooking time first and then add other veggies accordingly.

3. Toss vegetables in a light coating of oil (again, you don’t need too much oil as they’ll roast better if drier) and season with salt and pepper.

4. Don’t overcrowd the pan — it will result in steaming instead of caramelizing. If there’s not enough space, opt for two baking sheets.

5. Your veggies are done when they’re golden brown and you easily can pierce them with a knife. If there’s resistance, roast them a little longer.

Roasting Recipes

From classic side dishes to elevated dips, explore ideas for making the most of roasted veggies.

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Cooking times

Heat oven to 450° F. Chop your vegetables into 1-inch pieces — the Brussels sprouts can be quartered or halved.

Revised October 2025