Luca’s Traybake of Vegetables

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2 June 2019 BY Julie Biuso
SERVES: 4

Luca always seems to have a tray of roasted carrots, onions or broccoli going into or coming out of the oven when I visit – it's his comfort food.

All root vegetables work well in this – just use what you have.

Method

1 Peel vegetables if required. Cut everything into chunks, keeping the cauliflower in large pieces, cutting carrots and parsnip into 3-4 pieces, and shallots in half down the length. Put vegetables and bay leaves in a shallow roasting tin lined with baking (parchment) paper. Sprinkle with fennel, coriander seeds and salt and grind over pepper to taste. Drizzle with oil. Gently raise the edges of the paper to move the vegetables around so they get evenly coated with oil and seasonings.

2 Bake vegetables for 45-60 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F), turning once or twice, until golden and tender. Serve hot or warm.

Recipe Notes

A traybake of vegetables is such a handy thing. For a start, you can use up odds and sods such as one carrot, one parsnip, a piece of cauliflower, for example, and bulk it up with more of what you do have. It’s easy – just peel where appropriate and chop, then let the oven do the work. A traybake of vegetables is also versatile, and often cheap as you can use seasonal vegetables. Serve these with any roasted meat you care to or make them the star of a one-bowl meal, adding in plenty of rocket (arugula), topping them with sizzled haloumi and a garlicky dressing with capers. Or, serve them with a minty garlicky yoghurt dressing and top with lamb skewers (mini kebabs) and a squeeze of lemon, or stuff into pita pockets with hummus and salad greens.