parmesan roasted broccoli

we eat a lot of broccoli in my house, but i get so bored with steaming it. so when i saw a recipe for parmesan roasted broccoli on a recent episode of barefoot contessa, i had to try it. it looked easy and delicious, and a simple but fancier alternative to steamed broccoli. this recipe was extremely easy to throw together-honestly, i did not even measure ingredients, and i just loosely followed the recipe. the next time i make this, i would love to use everything this recipe calls for because i think it would just be so delicious, but tonight i was in a hurry so i just kind of threw it together. i had one head of broccoli that i cut up, and i didn't even use the garlic (i forgot/my husband is not a huge garlic fan) or pine nuts (sooo yummy, but too expensive for this girl!), or lemon zest (i was being lazy), or basil (i just forgot, oops!), and it was great! and as far as "good" olive oil, I'm just gonna be honest-all i had was the wal-mart brand (now i know those of you out there who are gourmet cooks just cringed, i'm sure!!), and it still tasted great. so i'm sure if you used all the ingredients it actually calls for and good olive oil, it would be just divine. however, if you are like me and just want to use what you have on hand, i think you'll still be very pleased at the results. just chop the broccoli, spread it on a pan and drizzle with olive oil, toss, sprinkle some salt and pepper, roast, then toss with parmesan and a sprinkle of lemon juice, and voila! a side of broccoli that is easy yet nice enough to serve to guests!

parmesan roasted broccoli
by barefoot contessa

I N G R E D I E N T S :

4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

D I R E C T I O N S :

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. 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 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.