Tender, caramelized roasted broccoli with diced red bell pepper, crisp pine nuts, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a spritz of lemon make this tasty roasted broccoli recipe an easy vegetable side dish even picky eaters will love!
Need more ways to deliciously prepare broccoli for your family? Try my Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Strawberries, Creamy Broccoli Mac & Cheese, Broccoli Slaw with Apples & Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole.
When a non-lover of all things cooked vegetables says they absolutely love, I mean like really LOVE, a roasted broccoli recipe, it’s worth a listen. Hey! That non-lover’s me and this is 100% that recipe! When this dish is on the menu, I start eating these flavor-loaded, tender roasted florets right off the pan the minute it comes out of the oven.
They are that good. Addictive actually.
Sad, under seasoned, soggy broccoli this is not. (Did you know that you can lose up to 97% of broccoli’s valuable nutrients when you microwave it with water?) And if that -or a veggie tray with ranch dip- has been your only broccoli experience, then get out the baking sheet and olive oil right now. You need this.
Roasted Broccoli Recipe Ingredients & Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- fresh broccoli (frozen broccoli does not work for this recipe)
- red bell pepper
- lemon (for the juice & zest)
- Parmesan cheese
- pine nuts
- Panko breadcrumbs
- minced garlic
- salt & pepper
- olive oil
Recipe Suggestions: Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a tasty punch!
Add some sliced mushrooms and/or chopped cauliflower to this roasted broccoli recipe for a robust veggie side dish that can also double as a complete lunch!
How to Cut Broccoli For The Best Roast
The key to a good roast for any vegetable is getting maximum contact with a hot roasting pan. That’s why I like to roast a lot of my veggies, like my Garlic Honey Glazed Carrots and Lemon Asparagus, in a cast iron skillet.
But sometimes, like with a family size serving of roasted broccoli, only a baking sheet will do. And this is where how you chop your broccoli can make all the difference in how well your veggies roast! An additional plus? With this method, you don’t get all the mess with that leftover “broccoli dust.”
- Insert the tip of your knife in the center of the stem, just under where the florets branch off.
- Slice downward to the end of the stem.
- Grab the 2 sides of the stem and gently pull the floret apart.
- You get 2 nice flats sides that will have full contact with the baking sheet, insuring that you get as much of that yummy roasted caramelization you can with this roasted broccoli recipe!
How to Make Flavorful Roasted Broccoli
Chop the Veggies. Remove the broccoli florets from the crown and slice them to get the best roasting area per floret (see above for tips.) Roughly dice the bell pepper.
Toss with Flavor. In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli and red bell pepper with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice until the veggies are well coated. Spread veggies on a lined baking sheet, making sure they are spaced out and in a single layer.
Make the Topping. In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, toss together the ingredients for the topping- pine nuts, Panko, Parmesan and lemon zest. Sprinkle toppings over the broccoli and bell pepper and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until edges of broccoli are browned.
Serve. Remove from oven and serve this roasted broccoli recipe hot!
Tips for Making The Best Roasted Broccoli
- Keep it Roughly the Same Size. Try to chop the broccoli into roughly the same size florets. This makes sure everything cooks evenly and gets done about the same time. Small, thin florets will roast much faster than large ones.
- Give the Broccoli Space. If the broccoli is crowded, the steam released while it cooks won’t have room to evaporate and will end up making your broccoli soggy. Make sure the veggies are in a single layer and have a little elbow room.
- Toast the Topping Separately. To add a crunchy wow to this roasted broccoli recipe, toast the pine nuts and breadcrumbs together for 2 minutes before adding them to the rest of the topping ingredients and sprinkling them over the broccoli.
Storing, Reheating and Making Ahead of Time
Store any leftovers from this roasted broccoli recipe in the refrigerator covered in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat leftovers by spreading them on a baking sheet, placing them in a 425° F oven again until heated through.
To prep this recipe the day before, chop the broccoli and bell pepper. Toss them in the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice until well coated, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. When it’s time to cook, spread the veggies on the baking, make + add the topping and roast as directed.
More Tasty Veggie Side Dishes
- Beefy Roasted Cabbage Steaks
- Garlic Honey Glazed Carrots
- Skillet Roasted Lemon Asparagus
- Sautéed Green Beans with Bacon & Mushrooms
- Parmesan Brussel Sprouts
Easy, Tasty Roasted Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium broccoli crowns
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced or cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- juice from a lemon wedge
Topping
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Panko breadcrumbs, heaping
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove the broccoli florets from the crown and slice them to get the best roasting area per floret (see post for tips.)
- Dice or slice the bell pepper.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli and red bell pepper with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice until the veggies are well coated. Spread veggies on the baking sheet, making sure they are spaced out and in a single layer
- In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, toss together the ingredients for the topping. Sprinkle toppings over the broccoli and bell pepper and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until edges of broccoli are browned.
- Remove from oven and serve hot!
Video
Notes
- Chop the broccoli into roughly the same size florets. This makes sure everything cooks evenly and gets done about the same time.
- Make sure the veggies are in a single layer and have a little space around them to keep the broccoli from being soggy.
- Toast the Topping Separately. For a crunchy wow, toast the pine nuts and breadcrumbs together for 2 minutes before adding them to the rest of the topping ingredients and sprinkling them over the broccoli.
- To prep this recipe the day before, chop the broccoli and bell pepper. Toss them in the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice until well coated, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. When it’s time to cook, spread the veggies on the baking, make + add the topping and roast as directed.
- For Storing and Reheating information + recipe variation suggestions, see recipe post.
- Nutritional information is an estimate at best. If you have special dietary needs, please use your own calculations to care for your health
Nutrition
Rate & Comment