Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted vegetables are as elegant and delicious as they are easy to prepare.

This recipe is dedicated to my dear friend Kaye, whom I've known since we were six years old. Brussels sprouts are one of her favorite vegetables, and she recently asked me for a good recipe for roasting them.

I've tried several variations, but my recipe below always seems to work out best. Here, as when roasting most vegetables, I like to cover the pan with foil for the first part of the roasting process, so they don't get too brown, just beautifully golden.

RECIPE:

12 ounces Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse the Brussels sprouts, trim the ends, and remove any of the outermost leaves that are yellow or discolored. Cut each sprout in half lengthwise.

In a bowl, toss the sprouts with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the sprouts in a single layer in a baking dish or roasting pan. Cover with foil.

Roast the sprouts in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the foil.

Stir the sprouts.

Return the sprouts to the oven and continue roasting, uncovered, for another 10-20 minutes, or longer as needed, stirring once or twice, until the sprouts are nicely golden on the outside and tender inside.

-- 3-4 servings