Roasted Broccoli

Roasting is possibly the best way to cook vegetables. The oil brings out a lot of flavor and you can add any spices you want, making the vegetables you can't stand to eat taste amazing. I love broccoli, but when it's not cooked right, I think it can taste pretty horrible. I thought roasting it would be perfect. I trusted this recipe would turn out great as it is originally from Barefoot Contessa who makes some amazing dishes on her show. It also doesn't take forever to cook as carrots or potatoes do so it's a speedy way to add a side of veggies to your meal.

Roasted Broccoli
From Shoot First Eat Later

- 2 pounds broccoli
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. 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 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.
3. Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts and Parmesan.



Some suggested variations were using almonds instead of pine nuts, which is what I did since I did not have any pine nuts on hand. I also added 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes for a spicy kick and it was perfect! I still had some broccoli left, so I made this again for lunch today but with an Asian twist by adding soy sauce and sesame oil in place of the cheese. You should also add sesame seeds, which I couldn't add since I don't have any on hand. I also added thinly sliced onions as I love onions and they find their way into every meal somehow.