Nigella Lawson's one crucial ingredient for extra sweet parsnips

One of the nation's favourite TV cooks shared a recipe for the perfect roasted parsnips in only 35 minutes that makes them a must for your Christmas dinner vegetables

Once all the presents are opened on Christmas Day then there's nothing better than looking forward to the dinner ahead of you. Roast turkey with gravy and all the trimmings is a highlight for lots of people during the festive season, so if you're cooking it then you want to make sure it's as tasty as possible. Of course, everyone knows about the traditional spouts that come with the meal (whether you like them or not is a different matter).

Then there are the carrots and potatoes to boot - but the humble parsnip is perhaps one of the more underrated vegetable sides that can accompany the dish. And if you're wondering how you can jazz it up in your Christmas dinner then Nigella Lawson has the answer.

The queen of TV cooking herself shared how to add an extra depth of sweetness to parsnips using just one simple, key ingredient - maple syrup. The recipe was featured on her BBC show Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen and takes just 35 minutes to cook.

Below are the three things you need for a serving of up to eight people:

1kg of parsnips 125ml of vegetable oil 80ml of maple syrup. How to make Nigella's sweet roasted parsnips

To begin with, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Then while the oven is heating up, you can start peeling the parsnips and then halve them crosswise, then halve or quarter each of them lengthwise.

Next, put all the pieces in a roasting tin and pour over the oil, making sure that it covers all of the them. The last thing you need to do to make sure they come out nice and sweet is pour the maple syrup over the vegetables, mixing them well, and roast for 35 minutes or until they look tender and golden brown on the outside.

As an added bonus, reports Huffington Post, you can give the parsnips an extra crunchy bite by following the advice of another beloved cook. Writing for Love to Cook, Mary Berry notes: “Crunchy sweet parsnips are the perfect side dish. The addition of semolina gives them a lovely crispy outside.

"With the addition of semolina, these golden parsnips become extra crisp in the oven. She even said it works for spuds, adding: "Throw some in with your roast potatoes for something a bit different this Sunday.”