Broccoli for the Broccoli-Hater
February 19, 2009 
All the haters in the house, putchuh hands up! All the haters in the house, putchuh hands up! (That's supposed to sound like a rap. You know me and my street cred.)
For real though, I'm guessing 9.4 out of 10 of you hate broccoli or have someone in your family that does. Well, my mission is to change your/their minds. EAT THIS. The best broccoli EVER.
This recipe isn't necessarily the best because it's easy (even though it soooo is); it's the best because it's AWESOME. Bright and rich and crunchy and the perfect companion to practically any main dish. Prepare to be wowed by the power of broccoli.
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan
also known as Broccoli-Hater Broccoli and The Best Broccoli You'll Ever Eat
- one large head of broccoli (or a good handful of florets per person)
- a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil
- the zest of half a lemon
- about a handful of grated Parmesan cheese (not the green can, please)
- half as much fresh chopped parsley as cheese, i.e. half a handful
- Cut the broccoli into florets, and toss them with extra virgin olive oil and a few good pinches of salt and black pepper.
- Roast in one layer at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes, stirring once through. The edges should start to brown, but it should still be green.
- Pull it out of the oven, and while it's still hot, toss in the cheese, lemon zest, and parsley.
I told you it was easy.
P.S. Guess where I am today? Here. With her. It's okay to be jealous.
Reader Comments (11)
Yes. I'm jealous, OK?? The closest IKEA to me is four hours away, and that's with the pedal to the metal. Great broccoli tip, I happen to have a family of broccoli-LOVERS so I'll test this dish out on them. Thanks!
I love broccoli and I've tried out a similar recipe before and it is AWESOME! So good. Seriously.
I am not the biggest of broccoli fans but I'll try this :)
lol...I AM a fan of broccoli and i would love this....it's also really good stir fried with some chopped garlic...but parmesan would add a whole other dimension of deliciousness
I actually come from a family of broccoli lovers, go figure. My husband, who is a very picky eater, will occasionally get a serious craving for broccoli so he’ll go to Costco and get there huge bag of broccoli heads and just sit in the car and eat half the bag (who’s suffering from a deficiency of green stuff? – well at least his body tries to fix the problem). I had never thought of baking broccoli by it’s self, my family always boiled or steamed. *smacks head – Dho* that’s a brilliant idea.
Sounds great, we’ll definitely try it out.
Now, I just need to get Paul to eat avocados, black beans, cauliflower, and cucumbers and I’ll be all set.
I love broccoli, but I'll still try the recipe! I love roasting vegetables of any kind. Yum.
Also, I sincerely hope you made sure to pick up cheap jars of lingonberries while you were at IKEA so you can make some scrum-diddly-umptious Swedish Pancakes for breakfast this week....
MMMMM! I'm a broccoli lover and I've never tried this! In fact, I don't roast nearly enough. And I have broccoli, parm and lemon in the fridge -wheeeeeeeeeeeee!
This looks delicious! And it's funny - broccoli is my favorite cooked veggie and my mom always used to tell me to eat something different - imagine a parent telling their kid NOT to eat broccoli! LOL. Love your blog!
I love broccoli, and I love to go this route and spruce it up with some lemon and Parmesan. For anyone who fears broccoli, it will make them a believer!
i made this for my parents this week. we loved it. we usually steam broccoli but on a cold, rainy day this felt so much heartier and flavorful. (we added a handful of chopped black walnuts with about five minutes left to bake. delish.)
I hate broccoli but I am not sure if I have ever really allowed myself to taste it. However, we have loads in the house at the moment and may force myself some time soon with a recipe that will make me forget its broccoli.