The Ultimate Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Name: The Ultimate Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 heads broccoli; 5 cloves garlic (peeled and thinly sliced); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1½ tsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper (freshly ground); 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed); ¼ cup pecans (toasted and chopped); ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

The Ultimate Parmesan Roasted Broccoli is truly the best roasted broccoli you will ever have. It’s nutty, cheesy, and so yummy, it’s the perfect side!

closeup of roasted broccoli on a baking sheet.

I love a good, simple veggie side dish. There’s just something about highlighting the beautiful natural flavor of these nutrient warriors! Today I decided to do an homage to the simple, delicious, and flavorful broccoli.

And an homage it was, chock full of perfectly crisped up garlic, bright lemon juice, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Whoops, I forgot my little secret weapon, roasted pecans! Let’s get into it.

The Ultimate Roasted Broccoli

So let’s talk about this parmesan roasted broccoli. I always try to find recipes that enhance the flavor of something I’m not a fan of and make it more enjoyable to eat. Which is exactly what this recipe does! We’ve got garlic (we all know I love my garlic), we’ve got roasted pecans, olive oil, lemon juice, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. A simple, yet perfect combination.

Ingredient Notes

overhead shot of all ingredients needed to make roasted broccoli.

Broccoli – Fresh cut so that we just have the florets in manageable bite sized pieces.
Garlic – Fresh and we’re using a lot. We want to thinly slice up this ingredient so that it’ll crisp up nicely on top of our broccoli, so splash out on the fresh stuff!
Olive oil – We want a few glugs of some nice stuff to roast up our broccoli nicely.
Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed from approximately 1 lemon.
Pecans – This is my flavor secret weapon so be sure to roast these up fresh before hand and chop them up.
Cheese – Parmesan cheese grated up fresh, some good stuff.

How To Make Roasted Broccoli

Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Prep Broccoli: Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks and cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. I cut mine in really small florets because I wanted bite size florets.
Season: Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Roast: Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. Stir the broccoli once part way through cooking.
Finish & Serve: Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with lemon juice, pecans and Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

overhead shot of roasted broccoli on a baking sheet.

FAQs & Expert Tips

FAQs

How To Toast Pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer. Pop them in the oven and toast until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 5 minutes.

Can I Add Bacon To This Roasted Broccoli?

Yes, the answer is always yes. I probably will never say no to this question. I strongly considered adding bacon to this recipe, but then I decided to keep this dish healthy-er so I opted not to. But if you want to add some bacon you can always crisp it up over top the broccoli.

How To Serve

This side dish is perfect alongside many savory mains, pair them up or just eat a big bowl on their own, I won’t judge.

roasted broccoli on a baking sheet with a spatula.

Tips

Try out different blends of spices, herbs and nuts for a variety of flavor combinations!
Make sure to flip your broccoli (you only have to do this once) to ensure even roasting.
If you’re allergic to nuts, you can leave them out! I would replace them with bacon if I were you. Just saying.
This recipe can be made vegetarian/vegan.

Storing Leftovers

This recipe is so easy to make and store! Just refrigerate in an airtight container and it’ll stay fresh for up to a week.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli on a white serving platter

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