Is this the best broccoli recipe of your life?
You may not know it, but for years this was the most popular broccoli recipe on the internet—and it could become your favorite too. Follow the steps and take your broccoli to the next level.
In 2008, author Adam Roberts posted an article titled The Best Broccoli of Your Life on his blog Amateur Gourmet. The post describes a recipe by Ina Garten (whose secret for juicy meatballs we also shared) from her cookbook Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.
One of the most searched-for broccoli recipes
Adam was so enthusiastic about the recipe that he was convinced at least one person in the world would find this broccoli tastier than steak. The blog post became hugely popular and one of the most searched-for broccoli recipes online. This was mainly because Adam had spotted a new trend in Ina’s recipe: roasting vegetables was just becoming hot and happening at the time.
What does this recipe involve?
Roasting broccoli: it’s not difficult, but there are a few handy tricks that make your dish just that little bit better (and definitely skip these 6 mistakes when roasting vegetables).
Tearing
When you cut broccoli into pieces, a lot often goes to waste. But if you score the branching florets slightly and then carefully tear them apart, you’ll end up with much more broccoli. In this recipe, you can actually use every part of the broccoli, including the stem; simply cut it into small, evenly sized pieces.
Spreading
Make sure you don’t pile all the broccoli pieces together when you roast them. When they’re all piled up, they’ll only steam and the broccoli won’t become deliciously crispy. So spread the pieces well across your baking sheet—or use two if necessary. This applies to all vegetables you want to roast, by the way.
Use your hands
Next, season the broccoli as usual with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then comes the part of the recipe everyone is so wildly enthusiastic about. First, add chopped garlic. Then mix everything well and make sure the broccoli is generously coated in oil. Use your hands for this, so you can feel whether the oil is evenly distributed over the broccoli. Then put the baking sheet in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Flavor boosters
When the broccoli comes hot out of the oven, sprinkle it with extra olive oil, fresh basil, lemon zest, toasted pine nuts and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, which you can prepare in the meantime. Mix everything together and the result is crispy, cheesy, next-level broccoli.
Also read:
- Recipe: broccoli ramen with egg and chili
- 5x next-level vegetables
- The best-kept secret of Chinese cuisine
