Roasted Vegetables Easy To Make As Side Dish Or Noodle Topping

Roasting vegetables is not hard to do when entertaining. For the following recipe, you can peel and halve the carrots and trim the asparagus ahead so that they are ready to go in the oven.

The carrots are roasted for 15 to 20 minutes and the asparagus for 5 to 8. Then the vegetables are seasoned with lemon and herbs, and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese before serving.

These vegetables would make a fine side dish with grilled salmon or steaks. You could even roast some mushrooms and add them along with the roasted carrots and asparagus as a topping for buttered noodles.

Roasted Carrots and Asparagus With Lemon and Dill

1/4 cup olive oil

1-1/2 pounds small carrots (about 12 carrots that are 1 inch in diameter at the top), peeled

1-1/2 pounds medium asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed and discarded

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 teaspoons grated lemon peel (yellow portion only)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Make certain oven (especially floor of oven) is clean, as any grease spots could catch fire at high roasting temperatures. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in large, shallow baking dish. Halve carrots lengthwise, place in pan with oil and toss well. Arrange carrots, cut side up, on 1 baking sheet and salt and pepper well.

Pour remaining 2 tablespoons oil in baking dish. Add asparagus and toss well to coat with oil. Arrange asparagus on remaining baking pan and salt and pepper well. (Vegetables can be prepared 1 hour ahead to this point. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at cool room temperature.)

When ready to cook, arrange rack at center position and preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place carrots, uncovered, in oven and roast until tender when pierced with knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and cover loosely with foil. Place asparagus, uncovered, in oven and bake until tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

Place carrots on serving platter and toss with half of lemon juice. Place asparagus on platter and toss with remaining lemon juice. Taste and if needed season with more salt and pepper. Sprinkle lemon zest, cheese and dill over vegetables. Serve warm.

Yield: 6 servings.