Oh wow, you are going to love this one! I don’t think I’ve ever loved eating broccoli so much. In fact, I haven’t really bought it in awhile. You know how broccoli smells when you steam it? Not that great. But if you roast it on a sheet pan with what seems like way too much olive oil and some garlic, then top with lemon juice and parmesan, I will bet you will eat a lot of it standing in your kitchen, guzzling some Cali Red by 19 Crimes. I did and I feel no shame. In fact broccoli is so good for you, I actually feel entitled to go eat the rest with some fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Get yourself one of these handy little rotary parmesan graters so you can put it on everything. I’ve had my hand-held grater for YEARS, the Zyliss Classic Rotary Cheese Grater. They don’t sell the version I have anymore. If you prefer a tabletop grater, I’ve linked another style that has several options at the end of this post.
The broccoli caramelizes from roasting it, and the smells in your kitchen won’t be rank, as if you merely steamed it and called it a side-dish. Caramelized broccoli almost sounds like something only chefs in fancy restaurants make. Your dinner guests will be impressed, so don’t hesitate to quadruple the recipe.
I think every food blogger has posted a variation of this based on the recipe from Barefoot Contessa. A man named Adam Roberts was the first food blogger to post it back in 2008 and pen it The Best Broccoli of Your Life, based on her recipe. That it is the best broccoli of your life is not a lie. My version here is pared down from the original recipe, as she added pine nuts and strips of basil. Some recipes call for adding more olive oil after it comes out of the oven. Nah. The lemon juice adds enough moisture.
Seriously go buy some broccoli and make this. It’s ridiculously easy to prepare. You will thank everyone who has ever blogged this. Thank you Adam and thank you Barefoot Contessa. I seriously love you so much for bringing boring broccoli back into my life.
Broccoli ready to go: Â Â
Make sure to arrange the broccoli florets in a single layer on the sheet pan.
Look at that caramelization:
Because you roast it at such a high temperature, you get this flavorful crust.
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan
- February 9, 2021
- 4
- 35 min
- Print this
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of broccoli, washed and thoroughly dried
- 4 T olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Step 2
- Cut broccoli into florets, leaving 1-2″ of the stems
- Step 3
- In mixing bowl add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper
- Step 4
- Toss broccoli in the olive oil mixture
- Step 5
- Line sheet pan with foil and arrange broccoli in a single layer
- Step 6
- Roast for 20 minutes. While it is cooking prep the lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmesan
- Step 7
- Remove from oven and return broccoli to mixing bowl
- Step 8
- Quickly toss with lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmesan to serve.
Song for the Prep: Choppin’ Broccoli by David Spade
Ha! I sing this to myself every time I chop up broccoli for some reason. You will too now. Sorry!
