She would never let you suffer through soggy veggies!
Ina Garten’s Tips for Perfectly Roasted Summer Vegetables
Published on Jul. 03, 2025
Ina Garten has been helping home cooks make delicious and elevated meals for decades. And while it’s true that you can make an Ina Garten recipe year-round, I always associate her with summer. Maybe it’s because of her easy-breezy-Hamptons lifestyle on display on The Barefoot Contessa.
She’ll give you tips on grilling the perfect steak, help you make a farro salad side dish that goes with any meal, and make sure that your kitchen is stocked with only the best knives. Naturally, she’ll also make sure that you don’t fall victim to mushy, unappealing roasted vegetables this summer.
What are Ina Garten’s tips for roasting summer vegetables?
1. Don’t chop them too small
The smaller the pieces of your vegetables are, the more likely they are to burn or dry out. By keeping vegetables in larger chunks, they will roast evenly. Think: tender on the inside, caramelized on the outside. If you’re making pasta salad or something else that requires smaller vegetables, you can always chop them up after they’ve been roasted.
2. Don’t overcrowd the pan
If you try to fit all of your vegetables in one pan, you might run into big problems. The veggies will end up steaming instead of roasting. Vegetables need a lot of space around them for the oven heat to circulate and cook them evenly. Spread your vegetables out over two baking sheets so you don’t run into this issue.
3. Don’t forget to turn them
The same rule of thumb for getting an even summer tan applies to roasting vegetables: After about 15 minutes, you should flip them over so they cook evenly. And since your vegetables are already in large chunks and have plenty of space in the pan, this will be very easy to do. Invest in a good pair of kitchen tongs, and make quick work of it!
What are the best vegetables for summer roasting?
There are endless possibilities for roasted veggies this summer. It’s true that summer and squash go hand in hand, so look for good ones at your favorite grocery store or your local farmer’s market.
Ina keeps it simple with her recipe and sticks to bell peppers, zucchini, fennel and red onion. If you’re looking for further inspiration, check out one of our recipes below:
