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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Roast Parsnips With Sage Butter

    Published: Sep 26, 2021 · Updated: Mar 17, 2023 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Roast Parsnips with Sage Butter
    Roast Parsnips with Sage Butter
    Roast Parsnips with Sage Butter

    Roast parsnips with sage butter is an easy yet sophisticated side dish, flavorful and versatile. A quintessential fall dish that's perfect for everyday or the holidays with ham, chicken, turkey, and more!


    Roast Parsnips on a platter with fried sage
    Jump to:
    • Creating This Roast Parsnips Recipe
    • How to Roast Parsnips
    • Tips for Roasting Parsnips
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Truth be told, I didn't try a parsnip until I was in college. My mom does not have fond memories of the overcooked, mushy, boiled parsnips from her childhood, so we never had them in the house.

    I was a bit nervous to try them for the first time, but at first bite I fell in love. They were roasted, with caramelized crispy ends and tasted savory and sweet like most oven roasted root vegetables. I was sold!

    Creating This Roast Parsnips Recipe

    Roast parsnips with sage butter bring a rich flavor to your table, while requiring minimal work to prepare. They serve as the perfect veggie side dish.

    Whether they are for a holiday meal, Sunday dinner, or a weeknight Meatless Monday, you'll be delighted with the sweet, roasted parsnip flavor and earthy sage addition!

    I roast parsnips and other vegetables a lot in the cold months. Once those yummy root veggies start popping up in season at the market or grocery store, I grab them and roast away.

    Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of veggies and I love that bit of caramelization that happens. Even better, I haven't had to slave over the stove, it's all done for me in the oven.

    I drizzled my roast parsnips with a simple sage butter to finish them. Most weeknights you don't need the fancy touch of crisped sage leaves, you could just chop fresh herbs and sprinkle them on your roasted veggies.

    However, for a special side dish I think the crisped sage butter takes them to another level!

    What Do Parsnips Taste Like?

    Parsnips are root vegetables, very similar to carrots. They are sweeter than other root vegetables, and add rich flavor to any dish.

    Parsnips can be prepared in almost any way; for this easy side dish, I made roast parsnips. Roasting allows the veggie to caramelize and that brings out the sweetness. With salt, herbs and butter you get a vegetable side dish that's savory and sweet.

    They're also delicious boiled and mashed like potatoes. I love swapping mashed parsnips in for mashed potatoes on a Sunday dinner. Or using half parsnips and half potatoes.

    Roast Parsnips on a platter with fried sage

    How to Roast Parsnips

    Cooking parsnips is so easy and requires minimal prep work. Here's an overview of how to cook parsnips in the oven:

    1. Roast peeled and sliced parsnips in the oven until golden brown. Set aside
    2. In a saucepan, cook the butter and sage until the butter browns and the sage crisps.
    3. Pour the sage butter over the roasted parsnips.

    How Long to Roast Parsnips?

    I recommend roasting sliced parsnips for roughly 25 minutes at 375ºF. You want them to be tender and golden brown.

    Do You Peel Parsnips?

    Yes, parsnips need to be peeled before being roasted.

    What to Serve with Oven Roasted Parsnips

    For a holiday meal where you need several sides, try one or more of the following:

    • Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Orange and Almonds
    • Shortcut Potato Herb Flatbread
    • Skillet Green Beans
    • Cheesy Potato Gratin
    • Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

    Tips for Roasting Parsnips

    • If you can find smaller, or thinner parsnips that's the best. They have tender cores and roast beautifully. The large fat ones will be fine if those are the only parsnips available.
    • You can cut the parsnips into rounds, chunks or long strips like me. Any way you cut them will be great.
    • I roast my veggies in a half-sheet pan. Or a rimmed baking sheet. It's easy to clean and the metal heat quickly and holds its hot, searing heat in my oven.
    • Sage butter is always delicious and pairs with almost any roasted vegetable. You can even use it as a sauce for your gnocchi or to pour over cooked meat.
    • Oven roasted parsnips pair well with my Grilled Flank Steak and my Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary Apricot Sauce.

    📖 Recipe

    Roast Parsnips on a platter

    Roast Parsnips With Sage Butter

    Tara Teaspoon
    Roast parsnips with sage butter is a sophisticated side dish that's easy to make, flavorful and comforting!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Servings 6 to 8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 lbs parsnips (peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise)
    • 4 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    Sage butter:

    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 15 to 20 fresh sage leaves

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oven to 375F°. Toss together parsnips, oil and salt in a shallow roasting pan.
    • Roast until tender and golden brown, 20 to 25 min. Transfer to a serving platter.
    • In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook butter and sage until butter just begins to brown and sage is crisped, 2 to 3 min. Pour over parsnips and serve.

    Notes

    Use this sage butter on any roasted vegetable. It's even delicious on roasts and steak!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 8gCalories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 403mgPotassium: 566mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 115IUVitamin C: 25.7mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 1mg
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    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe Tara Teaspoon. Photographer Miki Duisterhof. Food Stylist Jee Levin. Prop Stylist Jen Everett. Originally published LHJ Nov 2009. Updated 2021

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Mary Bench says

      May 17, 2019 at 7:25 pm

      These might ALMOST make me try parsnips! They are so pretty!

      Reply
    2. Anne Marie Miller says

      June 06, 2019 at 5:36 pm

      These look delicious! I've never tried parsnips but with this yummy recipe I think I might have to. 🙂

      Reply

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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