There's plenty of great ways to make vegetables taste good, but there is no easier, nor more reliable approach to making FANTASTIC veggies than roasting. How's that for boldly stating an opinion?

Since I was pushing this thought last week as well, I thought I should at least offer an easy approach. Below is the most straight-forward version I know. This is what you need:

Assorted vegetables of roughly the same "density" peeled and cut into assorted sizes (see pictures below) so they will be finished at the same time. In terms of quantity, adjust for the amount of people you're cooking for. I typically use 4-5 lbs of veggies.

1 Butternut squash, diced
2-3 Onions, quartered
6-8 Carrots, cut in half length and then 2-3 inch segments
6-8 Garlic cloves, peeled, but whole
Olive Oil, enough to coat the veggies, about 2 Tablespoons
Balsamic Vinegar, about 1 Tablespoon, or half the amount of oil you use
Salt & Pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 with the baking sheets in the oven! Then dice the butternut squash. NOTE - I don't know an easy way to peel this squash, so if you want to take a short-cut, Trader Joes usually sells pre-peeled and diced squash.Peel and cut the onions into quarters or, if larger, eighths. Don't skip the garlic. I smash the garlic with the side of a chef knife to peel and then toss the whole cloves into the bowl. Don't skip this ingredient! You can pick out the garlic after the roasting if you don't want to eat it, but you absolutely need the flavor in the mix.Add carrots and any other veggies you're using. Toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and season with a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.Place mixture on your preheated baking sheets. You ALWAYS want your veggies to be in a single layer so they are touching the sheet.Stir after 20 minutes and switch the baking sheets so the one on the lower rack gets moved to the top and vice versa. Roast for another 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are soft when pierced with a fork.Adjust seasoning and serve immediately!

Roasted Vegetables