Oven-roasted fall vegetables

This medley of roasted root vegetables features yellow onions, potatoes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, garlic, and sweet potatoes.

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 3 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into quarters (leave root end intact)
• 3 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-in.-thick slices
• 3 medium turnips (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and cut into eighths
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3-in. lengths (cut thickest pieces in half lengthwise)
• 3 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-in. lengths (cut thickest pieces into halves or quarters lengthwise)
• 2 medium butternut squashes, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 3- by 1-in. pieces
• 10 to 20 garlic cloves, loose papery outer skins removed, inner skins left on
• 2 medium orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3- by 1-in. pieces
• About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 7 sprigs rosemary (3 in. each)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Put all vegetables (including garlic) except sweet potatoes into a very large bowl (or two large ones); put sweet potatoes in a separate bowl. Drizzle bowls generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently with your hands to coat; then spread half of mixed vegetables on two large baking sheets. Break up 3 rosemary sprigs and sprinkle over vegetables.

2. Roast vegetables 15 minutes. Stir gently with a metal spatula if they are sticking. Add half of the sweet potatoes to pans. Continue roasting, stirring vegetables every 15 minutes if necessary and changing positions of pans to ensure even browning, until vegetables are browned and tender, 40 minutes to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven and set aside. Repeat with remaining half of mixed vegetables, sweet potatoes, and 2 1/2 rosemary sprigs.

3. Pour vegetables onto a serving platter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining sprig of rosemary and serve warm or at room temperature.