Roasted broccoli with lemon and parmesan
A hot oven gives broccoli crisp, nutty edges, then lemon and a snow of parmesan make it the vegetable you actually finish.
- 30 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $1.35 a serving
- 180 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: It’s ready in 30 minutes, start to finish.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 heads broccoli, about 1½ lb
- ½ lemon
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Each serving has about 180 calories, 7 g protein, 13 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $1.35 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No broccoli? Frozen broccoli works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Cut the broccoli into florets about 1½ inches across. the tough end of the stem, then the rest into thin coins.
Trim. Trimming means cutting off the parts you don’t eat, like stem ends, tough bits or thick fat. It keeps chewy or bitter bits out of the finished dish.
How you’ll know: What’s left is the good part, with no dry ends, woody stems or thick white fat.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Dolly’s tip: Florets with a flat cut side brown best, so cut any big ones in half through the stem.the broccoli on a large with the oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, then spread it out so the pieces aren’t touching.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Dolly’s tip: Crowded broccoli steams instead of browning. Use two pans if it’s tight.18 to 22 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the edges are deep and and a fork slides into the stems.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 20 min
Dolly’s tip: Sharing the oven with something at 400°F? Roast it there for about 25 minutes.the lemon right over the hot broccoli, squeeze over the juice, and .
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sprinkle with the parmesan and the pepper flakes, if you like, and serve hot.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
When you host a dinner, Dollop builds the menu around your guests’ allergies, works out a cooking timeline back from when everyone sits down, and puts it all on one grocery list.
