Roasted Vegetables Antipasto
Why You’ll Love This Vegetable Antipasto Recipe
These roasted antipasto vegetables are a staple in my house. They are delicious and versatile, and you can serve them in so many ways.
How to Serve Roasted Vegetable Antipasto
I like to serve them with focaccia and a cheese and cured-meat platter. Allow me to go into detail.
The focaccia should preferably be crusty, golden, and generously salted. I serve it alongside an indulgent platter with a mix of hard and soft cheeses. Burrata makes the cut, along with a large wedge of Parmesan and something like provolone or Gruyère.
A simple caprese salad served next to these vegetables is a winner, too.
For the cold cuts, I like to include pepper-crusted salami, prosciutto, and my favorite: thinly sliced mortadella.
Olives, pistachios, marinated artichokes, and sweet drop peppers are the perfect complement to this Italian antipasto feast.
This is literally my death row meal. The amount of pleasure and happiness this kind of food brings me is not even normal. I could eat this every single day of my life and be the happiest! Oh and don’t forget the wine!
The leftovers are perfect chopped into a salad, served warm over grilled chicken, or tossed cold into a pasta salad. There are so many ways to transform these vegetables!
How to Make Roasted Vegetable Antipasto
The preparation for this dish is simple. The eggplant requires a little extra care, so I like to start with it first.
Eggplant can have a slightly bitter flavor, and salt helps draw it out.
Wash the eggplant, cut it into 1/2-inch slices, and salt the slices all over. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the remaining vegetables.
Tip! Place the eggplant in a mesh strainer over a bowl. This lets the salted eggplant rest in the same place where you’ll rinse it.
Wash the vegetables, then peel and slice the carrots. Cut the zucchini and squash into 1/2-inch slices. Cut the carrots into 1/4-inch slices because they take a little longer to cook.
Cut the pepper and onions into thin strips. I happen to like my onion string-thin, but it is completely up to you.
Once the eggplant has rested, rinse off the salt with cold water and pat both sides dry.
Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Tip! Lining the baking sheets with aluminum foil makes cleanup much easier.
Place the peppers, onions, and eggplant on one baking sheet, and place the zucchini, squash, and carrots on the other.
Arrange all the vegetables in a single layer and season generously with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Tip! I add more olive oil to the eggplants than the rest of the veggies. Eggplants are like sponges, so they absorb the olive oil and it helps the eggplant soften during the cooking process.
Place the pan with the zucchini, squash, and carrots on the rack below the pan with the onions, peppers, and eggplant.
Tip! Every 15 minutes or so, using a long pair of tongs, try to move the vegetables around to help steam escape.
The zucchini, squash, and carrots should be tender around minute 45. Once they are tender, remove that baking sheet from the oven.
At this time, drizzle a little balsamic vinegar onto the onions and eggplant. If the eggplant is becoming very soft, you’re on the right track.
Raise the oven temperature to 400°F and cook the remaining vegetables for 10–15 more minutes.
Tip! The vegetables in this recipe are interchangeable with other vegetables. The roasting process develops their flavor and brings out their natural sweetness—even in zucchini and squash!
More Appetizers to Serve
Round out your spread with my Greek Panzanella Salad with Avocado, Whipped Feta with Roasted Asparagus and Crispy Prosciutto, or Bacon-Wrapped Dates.
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Roasted Vegetables Antipasto
Equipment
- 2 Ceramic baking sheets the exact baking sheets I use now; they are not the older sheets shown in this recipe’s photographs
- 1 Long cooking tongs a similar alternative to the long tongs I use; my exact pair is not sold on Amazon
- 1 Swivel vegetable peeler the exact peeler I use
- 1 Mesh strainer set the exact set I use for resting and rinsing the salted eggplant
- 1 Large glass mixing bowl the bowls I use and recommend, but any large bowl will work
- 1 Chef’s knife similar to the one I use, but not my exact model
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 1 sweet bell pepper sliced thinly
- 3 zucchini cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 yellow squash cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 large eggplant cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 large carrot peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- salt and pepper
- balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the eggplant: wash it, cut it into slices, and generously salt both sides.
- Let the eggplant sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse the slices with cold water, then pat both sides dry.
- Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil.
- Place the peppers, onions, and eggplant on one baking sheet because they take about the same amount of time to cook. Place the zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots on the second baking sheet.
- Arrange all the vegetables in a single layer and season generously with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Be especially generous with the olive oil on the eggplant.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Place the baking sheet with the zucchini, squash, and carrots on the rack below the eggplant, onions, and peppers.
- Using long tongs, move the vegetables around every 15 minutes or so to help the steam escape.
- The zucchini, squash, and carrots should be tender around minute 45. Remove that baking sheet from the oven.
- Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar onto the onions and eggplant. If the eggplant is becoming very soft, you’re on the right track.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400°F.
- Cook the remaining vegetables for 10–15 more minutes.
- Remove the onions, peppers, and eggplant from the oven.
- Let the vegetables cool slightly before serving. They are equally delicious warm or cold.
Looks and sounds delicious.
Thank you!