4 recipes in 4 weeks, really who am I? As I said last week, I’ve been in the kitchen and really trying hard to write down recipes (& photograph) as I’ve been cooking so I can bring them to you! And I’m not sure if this even qualifies as a recipe, but what I will tell you is it really truly all boils down to how food is cooked. See what I did there – boils down – I LOVE a good food pun! Finding the right method – roasting, grilling, steaming, – can really make a difference in how the food tastes. And so I bring to you, perfectly roasted broccoli.
Roasting broccoli might be my favorite way ever to eat broccoli. Some might say it verges on the “almost burnt” but I say those pieces are my favorite! I once made this with my friend’s 12-year old son and even he was grabbing at the little “burnt” pieces. It’s just that good! It’s important to have a good experience when you’re eating vegetables. If they taste horrible, no one will want to eat them.
Back to my original intent, help people eat more veggies. We all know we need to, but whether it’s a time constraint or a lack of knowledge of how to make the vegetable, consider yourself in the know now about broccoli. Roasted. All day. Everyday. Seriously, it’s that good. The only downside? The broccoli is only good when you make it, it does not re-heat well. I repeat, it does not re-heat well. I almost ate the whole pound yesterday because I kept munching – there could be worse things, Am I right? The bonus is that it doesn’t take much time to prepare and cook when needed. Win Win!
Roasted Broccoli
Roasting vegetables is my favorite way to prepare vegetables. And if you haven’t had roasted broccoli, drop everything and go make it now! Crispy, full of flavor, it might just be my favorite!
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (from 2 pounds or about 1 1/2 bunches of broccoli)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet for easy clean-up, if desired.
- Toss the broccoli on the prepared baking sheet with the oil until all of the florets are lightly coated. Arrange them in an even layer across the pan, then sprinkle the pepper on top.
- Bake for a total of 18 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway, or until the florets are turning deeply golden on the edges.
- Season to taste with pepper, if necessary, and serve warm.
Notes
*Don’t overcrowd the pan. I repeat, do not overcrowd the pan (see my picture above). Broccoli need some breathing room or the florets will produce steam that then won’t allow them to turn crisp on the edges. It’s better to use two pans (one more pan to clean, but it’ll be worth it) than to cram too much broccoli on one pan.
*I roasted the broccoli at 425˚F, so a little higher than just the normal 400˚F. Just that small difference in temperature makes all the difference in helping to get the broccoli to have those crispy golden edges.
*Feel free to add any extra garnishes you’d like. I left this as the base for a roasted broccoli recipe, that is actually my favorite as is. However, you could add a spritz of lemon juice and a little grated Parmesan cheese on top. You could drizzle a little balsamic glaze as well – you do you! But whatever you do, ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Side Dishes
1 thought on “Roasted Broccoli”
Those crispy bits are perfection!