Sheet pan cooking is popular for good reason – it’s easy and an effective way to get plenty of tasty food cooked fast.
This is my go-to method for roasting vegetables, this time with purple potatoes that have recently been available at my farmers’ market. In about 30 minutes you’ll have fragrant sides for dinner.
I preheat a clean, dry baking sheet whilst the oven is also preheating. This helps the potatoes form crispy edges and shortens overall baking time. The potatoes need longer to bake, so they go into the oven on their own before the vegetables.
Please remember that once in the oven that pan is hot-hot–hot, so take care to use potholders and/or oven mitts when handling!
Whilst this uses a 9 x 13-inch, quarter sheet pan, you could adjust to a larger sheet pan and include chunks of chicken, fish, or sausages for a complete meal. Be sure to pick a protein that can be fully cooked in the same amount of time as the vegetables.
Similarly, this is the perfect method for mix and matching vegetables you enjoy: eggplant, wedges of fennel bulbs or onions, cherry tomatoes, etc. It’s also a great way to clear out the vegetable bin before your next trip to the market.
This portion feeds two of us, admittedly with hearty appetites. It’s easy to scale this according to the quantity you need. When I’m cooking for two, my go-to is a convection toaster oven that makes this dish a breeze.
Easy Sheet Pan Summer Vegetables
Ingredients
- 10-ish ounces summer squash such as zucchini, crookneck, pattypan (I used 3 smallish zucchini.)
- 10-ish ounces new potatoes such as purple, red, Youkon Gold, or fingerlings (I used 4 small-medium)
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 6 whole fresh garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil a robust extra-virgin for flavor
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary minced
- 1/2 teaspoons each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Place an oven rack to the lower third position of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F on the convection setting, or 425°F if convection is not available. My countertop toaster oven has two convection settings and I use the higher “Super Convection” choice. Place the clean, dry quarter-sheet baking pan (9’ x 13”) on the rack to preheat it as well.
- Rinse the vegetables then pat dry. Cut the potatoes into quarters, or into about 1-inch chunks. Slice the squash into 1-inch long pieces. Cut the red bell pepper into about 1-inch pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes and vegetables with the extra-virgin olive oil making sure they are evenly coated.
- When the oven and baking sheet reach the desired temperature, carefully remove the sheet pan and place only the potatoes on it. It’s slightly tedious to sort through the mixed vegetables, which is why using a large bowl helps.
- Spread the potatoes out evenly and bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile add the rosemary, salt, and pepper to the remaining vegetables in the bowl and stir to disperse evenly.
- After 10 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven and use a spatula to turn them onto a different side in contact with the sheet pan. Add the remaining vegetables to the sheet pan, again spreading them into an even layer.
- Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes until the potatoes and squash are tender. The vegetables should all get a deep golden toast to them.
- We like this served hot with the potatoes crispy, but it can also be served at room temperature. For the latter, I have added a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to give it another boost of flavor.
