Roast
by: Genius Recipes
January18,2017
4.3
53 Ratings
- Prep time 5 minutes
- Cook time 25 minutes
- Serves 6
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Author Notes
In November 2008, Adam Roberts published a blog post with the headline “The Best Broccoli of Your Life”, about a recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. He promised that at least one person liked the broccoli more than steak. This post has since become the most popular in the history of his blog The Amateur Gourmet—one of the first food blogs and, until Roberts quieted the blog in 2015, one of the most beloved. Adapted slightly from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics (Clarkson Potter, 2008).
—Genius Recipes
- Test Kitchen-Approved
What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Ina Garten’s Parmesan-RoastedBroccoli
Ingredients
- 4 poundsbroccoli (note: if you like to slice and roast the stalks too, you won’t need to buy quite as much)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 1/2 tablespoonsgood olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoonskosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoonsgrated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoonspine nuts, toasted
- 1/3 cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoonsjulienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425° F.
- Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets discarding the rest of the stalks Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
- Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.
Tags:
- American
- Italian
- Broccoli
- Lemon Juice
- Pine Nut
- Parmesan
- Sheet Pan
- Weeknight Cooking
- Roast
- Christmas
- Thanksgiving
- Winter
See what other Food52ers are saying.
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Karen Brooks
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Olivia Shasho
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Shwillary
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Jackie Carrasco
Recipe by: Genius Recipes
Popular on Food52
40 Reviews
judy March 14, 2023
Been making broccoli the way essentially for decades. I don't throw away the stems, though--they get roasted right along with the florets. I pretty much use this flavor blend for any kind of broccoli I am cooking...Easy and lifts the flavors, while reducing the bitterness. But KEEP THE STEMS>>>
mgac March 11, 2023
I made this recipe years ago exactly as written which was awesome(!) the first time and it quickly became a fave in my household. Since then I've also included the stems (trimmed & cut in smaller pieces). But for those who like a little heat, toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes for a game changer - yum!
mlledaffodil January 17, 2023
Would get 5 stars except for the unforgivable error: discard the stalks??!? The best part of broccoli is the tender stalk—please peel the fibrous outer layer then slice slightly thinner than florets (place around rim of sheet to allow for longer roast time). Or send me your stalks & you can have my florets!!
Melissa January 15, 2023
Ina should learn not to toss broccoli stems. So wasteful
Karen B. August 25, 2022
Wouldn't change anything about this recipe. Everyone I've made this for loved it!
Darian April 22, 2022
My family loved this - the teenager was disappointed there wasn't more! - and made converts of my broccoli hating daughter and husband. YES! Broccoli returns to the menu!
Olivia S. January 2, 2022
I made this once for a work potluck because I knew no one would be bringing a veggie and since then it is constantly requested! Only make this if you’re ready to make it all the time for every occasion! It’s always a huge hit at any party.
NancyJ November 13, 2021
With a headline like that…had to try it. 4 lbs of broccoli requires 2 sheet pans, for sure. I used Avocado oil spray for the oven roasting part and added the garlic after 10 minutes to be sure it wouldn’t burn. Maybe a little more cheese, but definitely best grating as directed - the larger pieces of cheese really help. Recipes like this make it easy to eat less meat.
JLH April 18, 2023
As long as you're eating grass fed beef, no need to eat less. It's only corn-fed beef that is inflammatory and unhealthy.
Granny S. October 28, 2021
I have made it like this without basil. But our preferred way is with olive oil, garlic and sprinkled with a quick Lemon Pepper shake. It is also wonderful grilled on the Weber. Yum!
brushjl January 9, 2021
Delicious! Didn't change a thing. I don't worry a out bad breath during covid.
Shwillary January 4, 2021
i adore this recipe, and am always tweaking it depending on what i have on hand (it practically begs for a cauliflower swap!)
the tangy lemon with salty parm and sweet roasted garlic is a perfect enough combo - i actually don't think i've ever used it with basil, and only occasionally with nuts. it is a great recipe to keep simple and let those main ingredients really shine.
i do rotate the baking sheet halfway through and give the veggies a little stir - helps prevent over-charring or burning what is usually perfectly roasted garlic.
because this is a 2-dish max recipe, i typically toss the olive oil, broccoli, and garlic in the serving bowl beforehand (instead of straight on the cookie sheet as directed) to ensure every little bit gets a nice dose of oil to slick it up and roast with ease.
while everything is in the oven i add the lemon and parm to the serving bowl so it's ready when the broccoli and garlic come out nice and hot, give it a good shake, rattle, and you're ready to roll.
lazysprawl December 28, 2020
I omitted the lemons (don't like them on broccoli) and basil (didn't have any on hand) and this is still a great base recipe. Will try it with the basil next time.
Sasha November 22, 2020
I'm baffled by this recipe. I love just plain roasted broccoli, amd adding lemon, garlic, and parmesan seemed like a no Brainerd, but the result was a weird, almost chemical taste - I couldn't even finish it. Not sure what happened here
JV November 20, 2020
To be honest I was underwhelmed. It tasted like regular plain roasted broccoli, and the extra effort to prep all those flavorings didn’t seem to make a difference in taste with that much broccoli-not punchy at all - and the garlic burned. Maybe half the broccoli with the same amount of flavorings, and also silly to toast the pine nuts separately... just throw them in for the last few minutes of baking. For garlic that isn’t burned and more of a kick of flavor, I would add a grated/crushed clove raw out of the oven - the residual heat will tone it down a bit and it won’t taste like charcoal.
The trick in the video for cutting broccoli worked well though and I’ll keep using that to separate florets!
salena October 1, 2020
Delicious was to do broccoli. I usually steam it and then add butter. This was a nice change and deepened the flavor of the vegetable.
Jackie C. August 10, 2020
I love roasted everything! This broccoli 🥦 recipe is elevated to wow with the pine nuts and Parmesan. Highly recommended for any dinner!!
Tish M. January 16, 2020
This is a delicious recipe, and so far I have used the same ingredients with brussel sprouts, asparagus, and green beans, and all of the roasted vegetable were a hit including the leftovers tossed in a salad the next day.
gravityace November 10, 2019
This was wonderful the night I made it for dinner but it was even better as a cold leftover two days later. I substituted chopped walnuts...no pine nuts in the house and omitted the basil ...same reason. Still very delicious. Just had it for breakfast!
Janet M. May 15, 2019
I'm not sure I like broccoli more than steak, but I do prefer it to most deserts--a fact that never fails to baffle my grandchildren.
Ann April 8, 2019
I made this exactly as written and it was absolutely delicious. I used two cookie sheets and used a convection oven at a slightly lower temperature. Wouldn’t change a thing!
