At a glance
Cut mixed vegetables into even pieces, toss them with olive oil, garlic and salt, and roast them in a preheated cast iron pan in the pizza oven with the stone at about 600°F to 700°F. Stir every 2 minutes and they will be charred and tender in 6 to 10 minutes.
Your pizza oven is not just for pizza. Its intense heat chars vegetables in minutes, giving them the blistered, smoky edges you get from a restaurant wood oven while keeping them juicy inside. Cook a pan while the oven is hot after a pizza session, or make them the star of a vegetarian meal.
Best vegetables for a pizza oven
- Quick cooking: bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, broccolini, mushrooms and green beans.
- Need a head start: potatoes, carrots, squash and cauliflower. Par boil them for a few minutes first, or roast them longer at a lower temperature.
Cutting everything to a similar size is the most important step, so it all cooks at the same rate.
Temperature and timing
Full pizza temperature, 750°F or more, will scorch vegetables before they soften. Turn the flame down so the stone sits around 600°F to 700°F. Preheating the pan in the oven means the vegetables start sizzling immediately. Take the pan out every couple of minutes to stir, as the side nearest the flame cooks fastest.
Recipe
Pizza Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Makes
- 4 servings as a side
- Stone at about 600°F to 700°F (315°C to 370°C)
- Preheat the pan in the oven
- 6 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) mixed vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, cherry tomatoes, broccolini, asparagus and mushrooms
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano or a few sprigs of thyme
- To finish: lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, crumbled feta and fresh basil
Equipment
- Pizza oven
- Cast iron skillet or pan that fits the oven
- Long handled tongs and heat resistant gloves
Method
- Cut the vegetables into similar sized pieces, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm). Leave cherry tomatoes whole and broccolini in long stems.
- Toss them with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano.
- Heat the pizza oven, then lower the flame until the stone reads about 600°F to 700°F (315°C to 370°C).
- Put the empty skillet in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes to heat up.
- Carefully add the vegetables in a single layer and return the pan to the oven.
- Roast for 6 to 10 minutes, taking the pan out to stir every 2 minutes, until the vegetables are charred at the edges and just tender.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of balsamic, crumbled feta and torn basil.
Notes
- Dense vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and squash need par boiling first, or a longer roast at a lower temperature.
- Do not crowd the pan. Overlapping vegetables steam instead of charring.
Ways to serve them
- As a side with pizza oven chicken thighs.
- Piled on flatbread with hummus or labneh.
- Tossed through pasta with olive oil and Parmesan.
- As a topping for pizza, added after baking.
If you are cooking over wood or charcoal, our guide to using charcoal in a pizza oven explains how to hold a steadier, lower heat.
Frequently asked questions
How long do vegetables take in a pizza oven?
Most quick cooking vegetables take 6 to 10 minutes in a preheated pan with the stone at about 600°F to 700°F.
Can I roast vegetables directly on the pizza stone?
It is not recommended. Oil and juices stain the stone and smoke. Use a cast iron pan or a tray.
Why are my vegetables burnt but still hard?
The oven was too hot or the pieces were too large. Turn the flame down, cut them smaller, or par boil dense vegetables first.