Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Roasted vegetables have always been my thing; I even wrote an ode to cauliflower on NPR ages ago, featuring my love for caramelized roasted cauliflower. I love roasted sweet potato cubes served on a bed of brown rice with a drizzle of tahini. And I love building a vegetarian bowl with a generous helping of Parmesan-roasted broccoli.

Add this easy recipe to your roasted vegetable roster: tender, oven-baked broccoli that's finished with lemon zest and salty Parmesan cheese for extra flavor. The whole bake takes about 20 minutes and is a wonderful alternative to steamed or sauteed broccoli. Dig in!

What You'll Love

• Minimal prep. Just break up the broccoli, toss it with olive oil and salt to pepper, and you're good to go.
• And minimal effort. Let the oven do the work for you! No need to stand over the stove, a quick bake at high heat cooks the broccoli to tender perfection and gives it a lovely, crunchy bit of caramelization, too.
• Versatile. As a quick side to gluten free baked pasta or kale pasta sauce and pasta, alongside fried tofu or another vegetarian main dish, or added to a grain bowl, this easy roasted broccoli goes with almost everything.

Ingredients Needed

Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Broccoli - Choose fresh, firm broccoli without brown spots or wilting.
• Olive oil - I use extra virgin olive oil, but any type of olive oil or another neutral oil will work.
• Salt and pepper - Fine sea salt or table salt and black pepper to taste.
• Parmesan - Grated or shredded Parmesan.
• Lemon zest

Variations to Try

• Another cheese - Use another hard cheese such as Pecorino Romano or Asiago.
• Almonds -During the last 5 minutes of cooking time, stir in ¼ cup of sliced almonds to the broccoli for a bit of nutty crunch.
• Omit the lemon - Keep it simple and leave out the lemon zest.
• Or add lemon juice - But, if you love lemon, squeeze the juice of the lemon over the finished dish after adding the lemon zest and parmesan.

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Dry broccoli after washing. The key with roasted veg is to eliminate any water so that it doesn't steam and turn out too soft (we want firm-ish, caramelized veggies, not limp). After washing the broccoli, pat it dry to remove excess water.
• Cut the florets into a similar size. This will also help with even baking! Try to break or cut up the broccoli into similar-sized florets.
• Spread the broccoli out. Use a large enough baking sheet so that you can evenly spread out the broccoli florets. This will help them to bake evenly.
• Can I use frozen broccoli? While there are methods for roasting frozen broccoli out there, I vastly prefer to use fresh broccoli and recommend it for this recipe.
• Try with cauliflower. Use this method to make parmesan roasted cauliflower! Note that cauliflower will take a bit longer to cook, and it's just as delicious when tossed with lemon and cheese.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

• Fridge - Transfer the cooled broccoli to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat - Warm the broccoli on a baking sheet in a low oven until heated through and slightly crisp, or reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until hot.