What's On the Side: Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli as a snack food? You won't believe how hard it is to stop eating this tasty roasted broccoli.

While I'm admittedly the queen of steamed broccoli, sometimes I'm in need of a different flavor profile. And when I'm not entirely sure what to do with the vegetable I've elected to serve on the side, roasting is nearly always the right answer.

This roasted broccoli is the poster child for why you should be roasting your veggies. The resulting florets are crispy, lightly caramelized, and can take on whatever flavor profile you like. For this dish, I kept things simple and tossed the florets in olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. You can make it spicy with red pepper flakes and chili powder, or keep it light and zesty with lemon juice and your favorite dried herbs.

This roasted broccoli works great as a side or you can use it as an ingredient in a recipe that calls for broccoli florets -- I recently added roasted broccoli to a broccoli and cheddar quiche recipe and I really liked the added crunch and slightly smokey flavor it added to the dish.

What's your favorite vegetable to roast?

Roasted Broccoli (printer-friendly version)
makes 2-4 servings

2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Add the broccoli florets to a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Shake to evenly coat the broccoli in the oil. Spread the florets onto the prepped baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring the florets after about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.