There is simple but profound nugget of wisdom I’ve discovered during this long, snowy wintertime of root vegetable eating: All root vegetables (and arguably any vegetable, for that matter) taste better roasted. Something lovely and miraculous happens when those chunks of vegetable goodness take a dive in olive oil, followed by a slight sprinkling of salt and pepper before hitting a 400-degree oven for 20 or so minutes of extreme heat exposure. Their outsides begin to glisten, their insides become tender, and an overall washing of natural sweetness (yes, veggies can be sweet) extends from the inside out. Suddenly you find yourself saying things like, “Didn’t we just buy a new bag of potatoes?” and “Did we really just eat an entire bag of carrots?!?”
This recipe for roasted carrots is probably as old as time. There are no tricky instructions, no surprise ingredients: just simple steps and yummy results. Sometimes the best things in life really are the simplest, don’t you think?
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Roasted Carrots
• 12 carrots, cut diagonally into 1- to 1 ½-inch pieces (if carrots are really thick, you can cut them in half lengthwise, too)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper (about ¼ teaspoon)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (you don’t have to do this, but it definitely makes cleanup a breeze). Place carrots on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix ingredients on the baking sheet until oil, salt and pepper are evenly dispersed over the carrots. Spread carrots in an even layer, and bake in the oven until carrots are tender, about 25 minutes.
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Oh, yeah! And here’s the other nifty little tidbit I learned during the recent carrot-roasting process: If you go the organic route with the carrots (so they don’t have all the pesticide business on them), there’s really no need to peel them before roasting. Actually, not peeling them helps add a really nice carmelized crunch to the outside. Woot!
Are you all about roasting vegetables? Any great recipes with secret ingredients or interesting spices that you whip up at your place? Let’s hear it!
XO,
Katrina
I think that you have just become Emma’s favorite person (carrots are her favorite food) because now I’m going to have to make them tonight!!
How great that her favorite food is carrots! 🙂
I love roasting new potatoes with a few garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary. You’d be amazed how the garlic flavor just soaks into those potatoes!! Also broiling asparagus and green beans is super yummy 🙂
Ooo, that sounds so good! I love, love, love rosemary on potatoes. And the garlic sounds like the perfect touch!
Just started to add more veggies to my diet. This will definitely help! Thx for the idea & recipe, Katrina!
Glad you like it! 🙂
What a coincidence…I just made roasted carrots for the first time the other night. They were just a side dish, but they were so good, I would have rather eaten a whole plate of them instead of the main dish 🙂 I used pretty much the same technique as you but also added some shallots and dried thyme. It was a great balance of savory and sweet. Yum!
Savory and sweet is the best combo! Sounds delicious!
OOO! Super excited to make this! I love roasting veggies- although I have never tried carrots. my favorite thing to roast are red onions with olive oil and cinnamon!
I’ve never tried onions with cinnamon, but it sounds amazing! Thanks for the idea!
Just made some roasted red & yellow potatoes with red bell peppers using your recipe! It turned out perfectly! If I could figure out how to include a photo I would share!
So glad to hear it turned out well! Your photo looked great!
Dit it yesterday evening and my little girl loved it (me too actually…)!
Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you both liked it! I love to hear about little ones loving their vegetables! 🙂
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