How to Roast Summer Vegetables

We’ve listed the most common summer veggies here along with instructions for preparation and approximate cooking times. You can season these vegetables with salt and pepper alone, or use our suggested additions to fancy things up a little.

All of these veggies should be roasted on rimmed baking sheets. We like to coat them with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil from a mister too because sometimes vegetables have a tendency to stick even after being tossed in olive oil. Most additions can be added either before or after the vegetables are done roasting, although garlic is usually best when added before, while tapenades, basil, cilantro, parsley and marinara sauce are best added after.

Roasted Zucchini with Fresh Rosemary and Garlic

Summer Squash (Zucchini, Crookneck Squash, etc.)

Start by: Trimming ends, cutting into thick slices and tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cook at: 400 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
Try adding: Pesto and pine nuts, fresh herbs, garlic, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomato tapenade.

Tomatoes

Start by: Cutting into 1-inch pieces and tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cook at: 375 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
Try adding: A few pinches of brown sugar, garlic, capers, kalamata olives, fresh herbs (especially basil), balsamic vinegar. You can puree tomatoes to make roasted tomato sauce too.

Roasted Green Beans & Mushrooms with Walnuts

Green Beans

Start by: Trimming ends and tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cook at: 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
Try adding: Truffle oil and walnuts, fresh herbs, lemon juice or zest, olive tapenade, caramelized onions, blanched almonds, slices of garlic.

Eggplant

Start by: Trimming ends, slicing 1/4 inch rounds, brushing them with olive oil, and seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cook at: 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time.
Try adding: Fresh herbs, marinara sauce, balsamic vinegar, chopped capers and lemon juice, olive or sun-dried tomato tapenade, Italian seasoning, pesto.

Corn

Start by: Shucking, removing silk, cutting kernels off cob with a knife and tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Alternately, you can leave the husks on the corn and roast them whole.
Cook at: 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes for kernels, stirring halfway through cooking time; 450 degrees for 20 minutes for whole cobs.
Try adding: Caramelized shallots and thyme, lime juice or zest, chipotles in adobo sauce, fresh herbs, coconut milk and sriracha, jalapeno peppers.

Peppers

Start by: Removing top, slicing into 1/2 inch strips, and tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cook at: Broil for 10-15 minutes or until skins are just beginning to char. Remove from oven and place strips in heavy-duty zip-top bag. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then remove skins.
Try adding: Balsamic vinegar (for sweet peppers), other roasted veggies. Roasted peppers are also great for topping burgers and sandwiches or adding to salads.

If you found this post helpful (and I hope you did!), be sure to check out our Guide to Roasting Fall Vegetables too.