Sheet Pan Spiced Roasted Vegetables with Spinach and Basil

Tender, caramelized, and deliciously spiced, Sheet Pan Spiced Roasted Vegetables with Spinach and Basil are a snap to prepare, and roast up quickly while you get on with the rest of your dinner.

In dinner rotation at my house no matter the season, these quick and easy roasted veggies make a satisfying and cozy spread alongside Tangy White Beans with Tomato and Lime and Simple Herbed Labneh, which are both easily whipped up while the veggies roast.

Tender, not starchy, vegetables

These aren’t your typical roast veggies; instead of the usual array of starchy vegetables, this combination features tender zucchini, peppers, and red onion, joined by whole grape or cherry tomatoes that burst and caramelize as everything roasts. A handful of smashed garlic cloves are added to the mix which is seasoned right on your sheet pan, with earthy whole cumin seeds, a touch of piquant dried chilli flakes, olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. 

The colours alone of such a lovely variety of veggies is enough to whet the appetite.

A "half" sheet pan nested inside a "full" sheet pan.

Just before the roasting time is up, handfuls of baby spinach are added for the final few minutes, to wilt and soften into the mix, joined by a final garnish of fresh basil, rounding things out with fresh and green herbal flavours. Once ready, the gloriously fragrant, tender, and caramelized veggies are mounded into a serving bowl or platter, ready to be eaten as is or combined with other dishes for a well rounded meal; an optional sprinkle of nigella seeds if you have them adds a final savoury touch. 

The key to successful roasted vegetables

The key to making these, or any roasted veggies, nicely roasted with those coveted browned edges, is to make sure you don’t overcrowd your roasting trays. If the veggies are packed in tightly together, they will steam as they cook, as opposed to roast, and this is especially true with tender veg with a high water content like zucchini, peppers, and onions.

A full size sheet pan (generally the size of a entire standard oven rack) provides enough space to roast all of the vegetables on one pan in the middle rack of the oven. Two smaller sheet pans, such as the standard half size sheet pan, can be used, each on its own rack, widely spaced apart. If your oven racks are too close together, that may also create a steaming environment, which is not something you want here. If you’re not sure what size pans you have, find out here, but when in doubt, more pan space when roasting your veggies is better than less! 

Ways to eat Sheet Pan Spiced Roasted Vegetables with Spinach and Basil

While you can certainly eat these roasted veggies on their own or as a side dish to a main of your choice, they make up part of one of my favourite meals alongside these tangy white beans, with a big dollop of herbed labneh and some delectable slices of pan fried halloumi to top it all off. 

If you’re in the mood for something different, try creating a roasted veggie grain bowl, spooning the veggies on top of your favourite prepared grain, such a short grain brown rice, quinoa, millet, or couscous, and topping everything off with a generous crumble of feta (dairy or vegan). Some Simple Roasted Tofu Cubes wouldn’t go amiss to add a hit of protein to keep things entirely plant based if desired.

If you're in the mood for pasta, while the veggies roast, boil your favourite pasta shape, and once the veggies are done, toss the drained pasta with the veggies right on the roasting tray to soak up all the juices.

These roasted veggies make great leftovers too, stuffed into a pita or baguette alongside a slather of hummus or labneh and hot sauce for lunch the next day.

In the mood for a feast?

Print Recipe

Spiced Roasted Vegetables with Spinach and Basil

These tender, caramelized, and spiced roasted vegetables, made completely on a sheet pan, are a snap to prepare. Featuring tender zucchini, peppers, red onion, whole grape tomatoes, smashed garlic, earthy cumin seeds, dried chilli flakes, and finished off with baby spinach and fresh basil.

Prep Time20 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time20 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 or 6 as part of a larger meal

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini (about 400 gms) cut into 1” coins or half moons
• 2 red, yellow, or orange sweet bell peppers (about 400 gms) cut into 2” chunks
• 1 red onion peeled, roots removed, and cut into 8 wedges
• 1 pint/2 cups grape or small cherry tomatoes
• 6 cloves garlic smashed, peels removed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon sea salt I used flaked sea salt for the crunchy texture
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Four big handfuls of baby spinach (approx 75 gms)
• handful of fresh basil leaves
• Nigella seeds for garnishing optional

Instructions

• Depending on the size of your oven and the pans you have, line a full size sheet pan or two half size sheet pans with compostable parchment paper or reusable silicone liners. If using one large pan, set your oven rack to the centre; if using two pans make sure your oven racks are spaced so that your racks are spaced widely apart.
• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• While the oven is preheating, prepare your vegetables and mound them on one pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, then sprinkle on the cumin seeds, chili flakes, and salt followed by a generous grind of fresh black pepper. Use your hands to mix all of the veggies, oil, and spices together. Nicely spread everything out over your tray so there is lots of space between the veg; if using two trays, divide your seasoned veggies onto the two trays and then do the same.
• Roast for 20 minutes.
• If you are making Tangy White Beans with Tomato and Lime and Simple Herbed Labneh to accompany your roasted veggies for a cozy vegetarian feast, you can get this done now while the veggies are roasting.
• After 20 minutes, give the veggies a quick and gentle toss and make sure everything is nicely spread out again. If using two trays, switch positions for more even cooking if you find your oven cooks unevenly. Roast for an additional 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the baby spinach across the top of your tray(s) and return to the oven for a final 2 minutes or so until the spinach wilts.
• Remove the trays from the oven, sprinkle the fresh basil on top of the cooked veggies and use a spatula to scoop everything up into your serving platter or bowl. Sprinkle with nigella seeds if using, and enjoy!