This is the easiest oven-roasted broccoli recipe you will serve as a side.
In just 2o minutes, you will enjoy tender, rich, flavorful roasted broccoli with a tangy lemon sauce, flavorful roasted pine nuts and garlic, and parmesan cheese.
We love roasted vegetables, and once you try this recipe, you will never return to plain steamed or roasted broccoli again.
Subscribe to Cooking Canva!
Get my FREE email series: 5 Days of Easy Elevated Recipes plus a weekly newsletter!
Roasted vegetables make for an easy dinner dish; toss them with some seasoning, and the oven will handle the rest.
I was not raised with broccoli, in reality I never had them until I moved away from France. Once I discovered them, I could and still cannot, forsee a week without them in my menu.
The same goes for my son. When he was little, I would make a pound of broccoli and leave it on the counter to serve for dinner. By the time dinner came, they were gone as he would grab one with each passing of the kitchen. As a mom, of course, I love it.
In this Article
- Subscribe to Cooking Canva!
- Why you will enjoy this recipe
- Ingredients needed to make this excellent roasted broccoli
- Equipment Needed
- Super easy instructions on how to prepare this roasted broccoli.
- Pro Tips
- What to serve with your roasted broccoli
- Roasted Broccoli Variations
- Make Ahead
- Frequently Asked Questions
- If you enjoyed this broccoli recipe, you may want to try my other recipes.
- VIDEO: COOK ALONG WITH ME
- Oven Roasted Broccoli With Lemon And Garlic
Why you will enjoy this recipe
Easy – Hands-free side dish, this oven-roasted Broccoli is so easy to assemble it will become your new favorite.
Lots of flavor – Irresistably golden crispy florets blended with the lemon zest and juice are stransported to a new level of freshness once you bite into.
Kids will devour it – Little one loves to grab the stalk and eat them and this dish is so flavorful, you will have to make one sheet pan just for them.
This recipe is straightforward, and I love the simplicity of the ingredients, a staple in my pantry. The fact that the oven cooks for me is an added bonus.
And, while your broccoli sprouts are in the oven, you have plenty of time to toast your pine nuts and the garlic, zest the lemon, and juice it.
When you finish those two tasks, your oven-roasted broccoli is ready to come out of the oven.
Ingredients needed to make this excellent roasted broccoli
Fresh Broccoli florets – Tight florets, green leaves and stalk
Garlic cloves – remove any green internal germination that may be present
Lemon juice and zest – wash and dry well before zesting. Always zest first and then squeeze
Pine nuts – add a layer of flavor and crunch to your broccoli, a must!
Parmesan cheese – grated with the large holes of a grater.
Olive oil – use the olive oil of your preference
Salt and pepper – your seasoning.
Equipment Needed
Please follow the link to access the product of your preference.
Super easy instructions on how to prepare this roasted broccoli.
As with all my recipes, I bring out all my ingredients before chopping or cooking. Once everything is out to make my oven-roasted broccoli with lemon and garlic, or “mise en place,” my first step is to preheat the oven so it will be ready.
Start with the broccoli:
Wash them well and remove the florets from the stalk, leaving about one to two inches of stalk intact. Ensure they are all similar in size. You can save the stalk, peel the other skin and use it now or save for later use.
Place the florets on a sheet pan, cut side down. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Shake the pan to distribute the olive oil if need be. Ensure they are on a single layer and have plenty of room around them for better roasting—place them in the hot oven.
Roasting the pine nuts and garlic:
Please start with the pine nuts; they need a dry skillet to roast. Keep the heat to low and toss them frequently. Once a golden color, remove them from the skillet immediately to stop roasting. The heat of the skillet will continue the cooking process, therefore burning the pine nuts.
Leave the remaining oils from the pine nuts and add olive oil to the skillet to roast the garlic over medium-low. You want the natural oil to be released and your garlic slivers to be golden and not burned. When done, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Zest the lemon and then squeeze the lemon.
When you zest the lemon, beware of not taking along the white part of the lemon.
Assembling your oven-roasted broccoli
Add the broccoli, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, roasted garlic slivers, and pine nuts in a serving bowl. Mix well and sprinkle over the parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Pro Tips
- Look for firm head with tight florets and stalks with green leaves.
- Cut the broccoli in florets with about an inch or two of stem below the head, and you can keep them or use them too, as they will roast beautifully.
- Roasting the pine nuts will enhance their flavor and add a new layer to this dish.
- You can also use the stem of the broccoli head. I suggest using a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer on the broccoli stem, as it will be tough to chew. Once peeled, cut it into bite-size pieces and toss with the rest of the broccoli.
What to serve with your roasted broccoli
Typically served as a side dish, here are some delicious ways you can pair them up:
Parmesan, Panko Crusted Chicken Cutlets
Roasted Broccoli Variations
Although this roasted broccoli recipe is absolutely delicious and does not need anything else, here are some suggestions just in case you want to try some add-ins:
Bacon – Add Crispy bite size bacon bits to your broccoli at the last minute, or add non cooked bacon to the roasting pan with the broccoli to bake together. If you choose to do so, add less olive oil to your roasting pan as the bacon will render some extra fat and you do not want to swim in too much fat.
Heat – if you enjoy some heat in your food, add some red pepper flakes to the broccoli when roasting
Balsamic – Drizzle with our Balsamic Glaze before serving.
Pistachios or Almonds – Add the sliced almond or chopped pistachios for the last 5 minutes of baking or add them at serving time.
Make Ahead
Warm the roasted broccoli are the best, but leftovers do keep well.
Prep ahead
- Chop the broccoli florets early and set aside in a sealed container. Just before baking, toss with the olive oil and put them in the oven.
- You can also roast the pine nuts ahead of time and set them aside until ready to enjoy them.
Refrigerate
- Once your broccoli has cooled off to room temperature, transfer it to a glass air-tight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen broccoli?
We recommend you use fresh broccoli florets with this recipe, as frozen, they contain too much water and will not crisp up as a result.
How do you roast broccoli without getting soggy?
Toss the broccoli with oil and seasonind then arrange them on a even layer on a baking sheet by leaving a lots of room around them. Roast in a hot oven as to sear them thus leaving the outstide nice and crisp.
Why does my roasted broccoli taste bitter?
Overcooking broccoli release sulpher compounds giving it that bitter taste. Rapid heat and shorter period of time baking will prevent the bitterness.
Should you wash broccoli before baking?
Yes, this is an essential step before eating any broccoli, raw or roasted. It is vital to remore dirt, pesticides and even bugs. Wash them quickly under water, with vinegar, or even salt water.
If you enjoyed this broccoli recipe, you may want to try my other recipes.
Broccoli with Lemon Rigatoni Pasta
Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard
Rainbow Carrots and Broccolini
VIDEO: COOK ALONG WITH ME
Oven Roasted Broccoli With Lemon And Garlic
Ingredients
- 4 large broccoli heads
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ degrees.
- Cut the florets from the stalk, leaving intact about one to two inches of stalk attached to the florets. Discard the rest. Aim for uniformity in size; you should have around 8 cups.
- Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan to hold them on a single layer.Drizzle about 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over the florets. Season lightly with salt and pepper and roast for about 15 to 20 minutes. They should be crisp, and some of the tips should start to be brown.
- Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts by placing them in a small dry skillet and sautéing them over low heat, tossing them often. About 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them from the skillet once done and set aside.
- In the same small skillet, add one tablespoon of olive oil, add the garlic slivers, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Remove the broccoli from the oven and toss immediately with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, pine nuts and the parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Notes
Pro Tips
- Look for firm head with tight florets and stalks with green leaves.
- Cut the broccoli in florets with about an inch or two of stem below the head, and you can keep them or use them too, as they will roast beautifully.
- Roasting the pine nuts will enhance their flavor and add a new layer to this dish.
- You can also use the stem of the broccoli head. I suggest using a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer on the broccoli stem, as it will be tough to chew. Once peeled, cut it into bite-size pieces and toss with the rest of the broccoli.
Nutrition
Cooking Canva provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Dinners, Sides, Vegetables
- Cuisine: American
- Occasion: Easter, Mother’s Day
- Season: Spring, Summer
- Type: Affordable Gourmet, Under 45 minutes
Did you make this?
Leave a comment below and tag @cookingcanva on Instagram
Loreto and Nicoletta
This is such a stupendous side dish, or even a meal on its own. Love the lemon garlic combination. Beautiful addition of the toasted pine nuts. And that roast on the broccoli 🥦 is 👌perfect! ❤️ 😋
Teana Allen
I am so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback.
Bon Appetit!
Savita
Broccoli is my fav but most of the time I try it steamed or I tried oven-roasted asparagus but not broccoli before. So this was a winner for sure. Loved the flavors and how easy it was.
Teana Allen
Any time I can use the oven, it is on. I am happy you enjoyed this version.
Moop Brown
This broccoli looks really tasty, flavorful, and easy to make. I like the addition of the pine nuts as well.
Teana Allen
Thank you. I am happy you enjoyed it.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Such an awesome recipe to have in your wheelhouse! I loved the addition of toasted pine nuts paired with the lemon and parmesan cheese! Seriously, such an awesome, awesome recipe!
Teana Allen
Thank you, Lori. I appreciate your feedback and so happy you enjoyed it.
Lauren
This recipe had all of my favorite broccoli toppings in one recipe. Definitely loved it! I’ll make it again – thanks!
Teana Allen
You are most welcome. Thank you, for making my recipe.
Katie Crenshaw
This is the best way to eat broccoli. The lemon and cheese add so much flavor. I roasted it until it was a little crispy. So good!
Teana Allen
I love lemon and will add it to all my food if I could. I am glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Bon Appetit!
Carrie Robinson
Roasted is the only way that I make broccoli! 🙂 I am loving the addition of the lemon though. Perfect side dish!
Teana Allen
Thank you, I love to add lemon to my broccoli, i find that it brings it another layer of flavor.
Kate
The lemon and parmesan are so flavorful and the pine nuts add a nice crunch. Love this recipe thank you!
Teana Allen
The pleasure is all mine, so thrilled you enjoyed it.
Kathryn
This is the best way to get my kids to eat broccoli! We love this with any meal. Making this again next week 🙂
Teana Allen
I am glad your kids enjoyed it.
Thank you!
Gloria
Roasted vegetables are the best. Love the addition of pine nuts and cheese to this broccoli recipe. A great side to any protein.
Teana Allen
Thank you. Enjoy!