When home cooks put away the steamer and started cranking their ovens instead, broccoli’s image changed from divisive to divine. Steamed broccoli can be wonderful (if you don’t overcook it to mush), but there’s something especially alluring about the crisp, nutty flowers and sweet, tender stems of roasted broccoli trees.
Once you get the basics of roasting broccoli down — it just takes oil, salt and high heat — you may want to accessorize. Dress up your batches with one of these seven small steps that all accentuate the vegetable’s best angles and make it even easier to choose roasted broccoli night after night. “Broccoli, again?” just became “Roasted broccoli, again!”
Give It a Frilly Skirt of Crispy Cheddar
Broccoli and cheddar’s forever friendship proves that opposites attract. Tenderhearted broccoli likes the assertiveness of a sharp cheese. (Broccoli also gets along with feta, Parmesan and other aged cheeses. )
The cheese is so comfortable near the hot vegetable, it surrenders into creamy pockets. The real winners of this relationship, though? The eaters.
Finish With Citrus
The sunniness of citrus — whether lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit — reenergizes the scorched vegetable. The fruit’s juices are full of bright acidity, and the oils in the zest add floral and fragrant notes, especially when they hit hot food.
Make a Buttery Sauce
When the broccoli comes out of the oven, stir it with a pat of butter and other flavorings on the hot sheet pan until the bushy florets shine with melted butter. Look: You made a pan sauce.
Build a Sweet-Spicy-Salty Trifecta
Honey is a secret ingredient, complementing the savory notes of broccoli. Its caramel quality is a natural, if unsuspecting, pairing for the florets.
Double Down on Smokiness
The charred edges of the broccoli might be the best bites. Reinforce those deep dark flavors with a whiff of smoke, using bacon, smoked paprika, smoked fish, smoked cheese or chipotles.
Make It Hot
You probably have something spicy in the kitchen right now: fresh jalapeños or serranos, pickled peppers, chile oil, chile crisp, hot sauce or crushed red pepper? Let one of them bring heat to the otherwise mellow, bittersweet broccoli.
Add Nuts
Bring out broccoli’s nuttiness by topping your florets with a garnish of toasted nuts or seeds. The simplest version is a shake of sesame seeds right from the jar, but that’s not where the possibilities end.
Recipe: Sheet-Pan Sausage Meatballs With Tomatoes and Broccoli
By Yasmin Fahr
Instead of making meatballs from scratch, this weeknight recipe calls for rolling bulk sausage into small meatballs that cook alongside broccoli, tomatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkling a layer of Parmesan over the entire pan during the second half of cooking allows it to melt and crisp simultaneously; a blanket of gooey cheese coats the roasted tomatoes, while the Parmesan that falls directly onto the sheet pan becomes crunchy and frico-like. Use the garlic bread that cooks alongside to scrape up any pan juices or to assemble French bread pizzas.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 head broccoli florets or 2 bunches broccolini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 pound bulk spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or fresh sausages removed from casing)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 loaf soft Italian bread, split lengthwise
- 3 to 5 small garlic cloves, grated or minced
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees with one rack in the lower third and one in the upper. On one sheet pan, combine the tomatoes, broccoli and mushrooms with 1/4 cup oil. Season with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss to combine, then arrange the tomatoes so they are cut-side up. Roll the sausage into 1-inch balls. (There should be about 30.) Distribute them around the vegetables. Sprinkle the entire sheet pan with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Roast for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brush the cut sides of the bread with 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. Spread the grated garlic on the bread, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and salt to taste. Cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Grease another sheet pan with olive oil, then place the bread on the pan, cut side up.
3. After 15 minutes, gently shake the pan to flip the meatballs. Sprinkle the entire pan with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, concentrating your efforts on the tomatoes and the empty pan edges so that some Parmesan has room to crisp. Return the meatball sheet pan to the lowest rack and place the bread sheet pan on the higher rack. Roast until the bread is golden at the edges, the broccoli tips are crispy and the meatballs are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (If the broccoli and meatballs need a little more time, remove the bread from the oven, cover loosely with foil and continue to roast the other sheet pan for 5 more minutes.)
4. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any cheese that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Serve everything with the garlic bread and more grated cheese.
Recipe: Broccoli and Scallions With Thai-Style Vinaigrette
By Colu Henry
Roasting gives broccoli an incredible texture and crunch, and it softens and sweetens the bite of the scallions. This is paired with a highly addictive vinaigrette that is a play on the classic Thai dipping sauce prik nam pla. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself with leftovers, spoon it over roast fish, chicken or even plain white rice.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the broccoli and scallions:
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli (about 3 good-size crowns and their stems), cut into florets
- 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli and scallions with the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and toss again. Spread the mixture evenly onto a large sheet pan and roast until crisp and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway through to ensure even cooking.
2. While the vegetables roast, make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients until the brown sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
3. Place the broccoli and scallions in a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve right away or the vegetables will become soggy.
Recipe: Miso-Butter Roasted Broccoli
By Yasmin Fahr
Deeply flavorful and easy, this simple roasted broccoli dish gets a finishing of miso butter and a hit of acidity from lime juice. It makes a great accompaniment to roasted salmon or chicken, and adds depth to grain bowls or quickly cooked leftovers. Although the recipe calls for room temperature butter, the butter only needs to be soft enough so that you can mash it together with the miso, as it will start to melt upon contact with the sheet pan. You can swap in ghee for the butter, or some lemon in place of the lime. Finish the dish with grated Parmesan for some extra flavor, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 large head broccoli (about 1 to 1-1/4 pounds), florets and tender stems cut into bite-size pieces (6 to 8 cups)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons white miso
- 1 lime, halved
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Add the broccoli to a large sheet pan, along with any tiny stray pieces from the cutting board (they will get crunchy and browned). Drizzle with the olive oil, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Spread out the broccoli and roast until the underside is charred and the thickest stalks are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, use a fork to mash the butter and miso together. (The mixture doesn’t need to be perfectly uniform.) Add the mixture to the roasted broccoli, then squeeze half the lime juice over it and stir it all together, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the sheet pan. Season as needed with salt and the remaining lime juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe: Broccoli With Sizzled Nuts and Dates
By Sohla El-Waylly
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage and brussels sprouts, can handle some char. Blackening makes them sweet and caramelized rather than bitter and burnt. The key is to cook the vegetables hot and fast, so the pieces develop color without becoming mushy and they’re crackly at the edges while still crisp-tender at the cores. Make sure your broccoli florets are thoroughly dried before cooking by taking them for a ride in a salad spinner. (Water will slow down the browning, resulting in florets that steam instead of char.) A topping of toasted nuts, sticky dates, bright lemon and bites of peppercorn adds complexity to this humble vegetable.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup raw assorted nuts and seeds, such as pecans, pepitas or cashews (or a combination), roughly chopped
- Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns
- 3 medjool dates, pitted and torn (or 1/3 cup dried fruit, chopped if large)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 large head broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Preparation:
1. To a medium skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the assorted nuts and seeds. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the nuts and seeds look golden and smell toasty, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Season generously with salt, then add the pepper and dates. Cook, stirring frequently, until the dates are plump and the pepper is aromatic, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside.
3. Heat the broiler to high and place a rimmed sheet pan on the oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler.
4. Trim the dry end off the broccoli and peel the stem. Cut broccoli stem in half lengthwise, then pull it apart to break the head in half. Cut into individual florets, each with a long spear of stem attached. Wash broccoli, then dry thoroughly in a salad spinner. (If you don’t have a salad spinner, bundle the broccoli in a large kitchen towel and spin it around outside.)
5. In a large mixing bowl, toss broccoli with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, rubbing it well with your hands to coat evenly and thoroughly. Season with kosher salt. Arrange broccoli on the heated sheet pan, then broil until crisp-tender and charred in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. (Keep a close eye on it, as different broilers have different power levels.)
6. Transfer the broccoli to a platter, spoon over the nut and date mixture, and serve immediately.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.