LEMONY ROASTED RADICCHIO, FENNEL, AND ROOT VEGETABLES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

A medley of radicchio, fennel, potatoes, parsnips, and shallots creates an intriguing balance of flavors and textures in this hearty winter vegetable salad. To ensure that the vegetables would roast evenly, we cut them into comparably sized pieces. Arranging the radicchio in the center of the baking sheet, with the other vegetables around the perimeter, kept the more delicate radicchio from charring in the hot oven. Before roasting, we tossed the veggies with olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and a little sugar (to promote browning). Then, once all of the vegetables were perfectly tender and caramelized, we tossed the whole shebang with a bright-tasting lemony dressing

SERVES: 4 to 6

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored, and sliced into ½-inch wedges
• 1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 head radicchio (10 ounces), halved, cored, and cut into 2-inch wedges
• 8 ounces parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 shallots, peeled and halved
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus extra for seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
2. In a bowl, toss the fennel, potatoes, radicchio, parsnips, shallots, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sugar, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper until evenly coated.
3. Spread the vegetables into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, arranging the radicchio in the center.
4. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through roasting, until they are tender and golden brown.
5. While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together the basil, chives, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl.
6. Once the vegetables are done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle the lemon juice mixture over the top.
7. Toss the vegetables gently to coat them with the mixture, and season with additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
8. Serve the roasted vegetables hot as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course together in large serving bowl.
9. Add roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and extra lemon juice to taste. Serve.