Market Vegetable and Herb Bake

About This Recipe

This vegetable bake is built the way Australian farmers-market shoppers cook on a Sunday: whatever root vegetables and squash look best that week, cut into similar-sized pieces, tossed with olive oil and a generous handful of fresh herbs, and roasted hot until caramelized at the edges. A final scatter of parmesan under the grill in the last few minutes gives the top a crisp, golden crust that turns a simple roasted-veg side into something worth serving as a centerpiece. The technique that matters most is cutting vegetables to a consistent size and giving them enough room on the tray — overcrowding steams vegetables instead of roasting them, the single biggest reason home roasted vegetables turn out soft and pale instead of caramelized. Root vegetables like carrot, parsnip and pumpkin go in first since they take longer, with quicker-cooking zucchini added partway through so nothing turns to mush. It's the kind of dish that leans entirely on good, fresh produce and a hot oven rather than a complicated sauce — a genuinely Australian expression of market-to-table cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 3carrots(cut into batons)
• 2parsnips(cut into batons)
• 500 gpumpkin(cut into wedges)
• 2zucchini(sliced thick)
• 1red onion(cut into wedges)
• 4 tbspolive oil
• 2 tbspfresh rosemary(chopped)
• 2 tbspfresh thyme(chopped)
• 3 clovesgarlic(crushed)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 cupgrated parmesan

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the root vegetables

   Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F). Toss carrot, parsnip and pumpkin with half the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper on a large tray, spread in a single layer.

   Use two trays if needed — overcrowding is the main reason vegetables steam instead of caramelizing.

2. 2

   Start roasting

   Roast for 20 minutes until edges start to color.

3. 3

   Add the quicker vegetables

   Toss zucchini and onion with remaining oil and thyme, add to the tray, and roast for another 20 minutes until everything is tender and caramelized at the edges.

4. 4

   Add the parmesan crust

   Scatter parmesan over the top and grill (broil) for 3-5 minutes until golden and crisp.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve hot straight from the tray as a side or light vegetarian main.

Variations

• •

  Add whole garlic cloves in their skins for a sweeter, milder roasted garlic to squeeze over the top.

• •

  Swap parmesan for crumbled feta added after roasting for a tangier finish.

• •

  Add chickpeas to the tray in the last 15 minutes for a heartier, protein-rich vegetarian main.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer to re-crisp; microwaving makes the vegetables soft and a little soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions