Simply Roasted Carrots

I think I've made it chrystal clear how I feel about roasting: I feel happy about it. Tickled. Perfectly thrilled, in fact.

Roasting is so easy and so good. Am I preachin' to the choir out there or am I the only one singing the praises of a scorchin' hot oven putting crispy, caramelized edges on my veggies and tubers? Anyone? Bueller? 

Well, I digress. Moving on to carrots. Far too often these crunchy, vibrant fall beauties get relegated to the humble lunch sack. Heaven forbid Junior heaves them into the trash bin in favor of a Fruit Roll-up or Ding-Dong. I wanted my carrots to take center stage.

First I took my lunch-sack-ready baby carrots and hacked them into coins.  There were two reasons for this extra step: 1.) they look purrrty, and 2.) they cook more quickly when they're sliced up. Reason number two was obviously far more important to me. Then I tossed them on a baking tray (lined with parchment for easy-peasy clean-up) and glugged on some olive oil. (I think "glug" is an official culinary term.) A hearty sprinkling of salt and pepper, and into the oven they went.  After a few minutes the heat of the oven brought out the natural sugar and deepened the blaze-orange color of my simple carrots. They were indeed the star of the dinner table.

Simply Roasted Carrots

Carrots* (big or baby carrots), sliced into 1/4" coins
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Choose a baking sheet large enough for all of your carrots to fit in a single layer and line it with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Place carrots on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil.  (If you have a lot of carrots, use about 3 tablespoons oil. If you only have a few carrots, use about two tablespoons.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss everything together with your hands. You want your carrots to glisten with oil and be evenly coated with spices. Distribute the carrots so they're in a single layer. Cook for 17-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the carrots are tender and caramelized around the edges.

*Use as many carrots as you need to feed your family. The husband and I enjoy our vegetables, and three big handfuls of baby carrots feeds the two of us.

P.S. Interested in the fish pictured with these Simply Roasted Carrots? Check out my recipe for Pan-Seared Tilapia.