Roasting pecans or walnuts is a great idea because it brings out their wonderful flavors and makes everything you use them in better.
But, roasting nuts can be tricky because if you use too high a temperature or roast them too long, the nuts can burn. Been there. Done that.
And, I have tried just about every way there is to roast nuts. Dry skillet. Oven at 400 degrees F. Oven at 350 degrees F. Even the microwave.
I have not been very happy with any of these methods.
But, then recently Rose Levy Beranbaum (author of The Cake Bible and The Pie and Pastry Bible to name a couple of her books) came to my rescue.
She recommends roasting nuts at 325 degree F for ten minutes. Here’s how:
- Place the nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place the sheet in the oven.
- Roast for about five minutes and then open the oven door and shake the baking sheet and move the nuts around.
- Roast for another five minutes.
- Remove the nuts and cool completely. You should smell that wonderful aroma of roasted nuts.
Simple. No burning. Better baked goods.
MuirFood 
There is more than one way to skin a cat…
For example, when I was looking online for how to roast peanuts, EVERYONE said “single layer;” and there were multitudes of recommended temperatures, everything from 160F to 350F. Some recommended salt; some suggested honey, etc.
I have found that roasting a “pile” of peanuts (i.e., more than a single layer) at 350F works wonderfully. You just have to watch ’em and stir ’em more often, and take ’em out at the right time. (Remember: peanuts stay hot and will continue roasting out of the oven.) Also, no salt, honey, etc. is needed–these puppies are delicious and way more healthy all by their crunchy little selves.
Note: The person recommending a temperature of 160F (it takes about an hour, by the way) made the point that higher temperatures roast all the nutritional benefits out of peanuts. But since I don’t eat peanuts for their nutritional benefits, taste and crunchiness are my only considerations. However, peanuts (probably any nut) have a certain benefit that doesn’t depend on temperature. That is, they scour intestines and colons, and deter polyp and cancer growth!
Totally burnt in 3 mins at the temperature and using the method suggested