A roasted vegetable is a wonderful vegetable, even when cooked simply with only oil, salt and pepper. There are plenty of ways to roast different vegetables, but sometimes you want a single method that works with everything so you can buy whatever looks good and know what you’re going to do with it.

The one-tray method below works just as well on cold weather roots, florets and dark leafy greens as it does with spring’s sprightly asparagus and beans and summer’s juicy tomatoes and capsicums. Just follow these easy instructions and exceptional results are guaranteed.

1. Cut the vegetables into uniform pieces

Slice your vegetables big or small, just aim for roughly the same size. Smaller pieces cook more quickly and produce crisper outsides, while larger ones offer more creaminess in the centres. Spread the pieces out on the tray so they don’t steam and end up mushy.

2. Season and oil the vegetables generously

It’s just like getting a tan at the beach: oil up for a bronzed exterior. Five hundred to 900g of vegetables need one to three tablespoons of oil and should be sprinkled with nice big pinches of salt (and black pepper if you’d like).

3. Roast on the lowest rack of a hot oven

The magic oven temperature is 180C fan-forced (200C conventional), hot enough to caramelise outsides but not so hot that ingredients will burn before the interior cooks through.

Setting the tray on the bottom rack, which is nearest to the heat source, turns it into a big skillet and helps the bottoms of the vegetables sizzle and sear. But unlike a skillet on the stovetop, the surrounding heat of the oven simultaneously cooks the other sides, too.

Most recipes tell you to stir or flip vegetables halfway through cooking, but this could result in only slightly golden outsides and potentially dry insides. Skip the flip.

The cook time will depend on the density and size of the vegetables; when a fork pierces through easily, they’re done.

4. Flavour the vegetables after cooking

While you could coat the vegetables before roasting with spices and other seasonings, it’s easier to focus on roasting the vegetables well and not stress about small seasonings scorching. The cook time will depend on the density and size of the vegetables; when a fork pierces through easily, they’re done.

If you’d like, toss the roasted vegetables on the hot tray with anything you want to warm or toast, like spices, butter or chopped garlic. Or, contrast the sweetness of the vegetables by sprinkling them with fresh herbs, spicy sauce or a squeeze of tangy lemon juice.

To turn the vegetables into a complete meal, serve them over grains or puree them into soup.

Roasted root vegetables with hot honey

This one-method-fits-all recipe turns any combination of sturdy root vegetables into caramelised morsels. You could stop after Step 1 and enjoy the vegetables’ inherent sweetness, or go on to Step 2 to toss them in a combination of butter, honey, lemon and chilli flakes. The heat from the tray will meld the ingredients into a spicy, tangy glaze for the vegetables. Enjoy with roast chicken, pork tenderloin, a hearty salad or a fried egg.

INGREDIENTS

• 900g any mix of carrots, golden beets, parsnips, potatoes, swedes, sweet potatoes and/or turnips, scrubbed or peeled and cut into 1cm pieces (about 6 cups)
• 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt
• 3 tsp unsalted butter
• 3 tsp honey, plus more as desired
• 1 tsp lemon zest plus 3 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp red chilli flakes or ¼ tsp ground cayenne, plus more as desired

METHOD

1. Arrange a rack at the bottom of the oven and heat to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). On a roasting tray, toss the vegetables with the oil and season generously with salt. Spread in an even layer and roast on the bottom rack, without flipping, until browned underneath and fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Add the butter, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice and chilli flakes to the vegetables. Toss until the butter melts, scraping up browned bits from the tray as you go. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt (if bland), honey (if too spicy) and crushed chilli (if too sweet).

Serves 4

The New York Times