How To Make Roasted Broccoli

In the grand pantheon of roasted vegetables, I feel that broccoli is king. Reviled by picky toddlers and neglected by snacking party-goers, here is a vegetable that is absolutely redeemed by the power of a hot oven. The tough stems turn tender, the tree-like tops turn crispy, and the color goes from dull and boring to a brilliant, appetizing emerald green. All hail King Broccoli.

The same general rules for roasting vegetables apply here: Don’t skimp on the oil, salt like you mean it, and make sure your oven is hot. I recommend two tablespoons of oil for about a pound of broccoli — which is a little more than I usually use for other vegetables — to make sure the florets and their bumpy crowns are evenly coated.

Salt also brings out the broccoli’s flavor and reduces the bitterness that so often turns people off from this vegetable. A hot oven is the final clincher — high heat will give the florets plenty of crispy, roasty bits, which make humble broccoli irresistible. Even if the florets seem tender, keep roasting until you see those roasted bits.

Roasted broccoli is a regular visitor to my kitchen, and not just as a vegetable side dish to chicken and roast potatoes. I often use it to complete grain bowls or polenta bowls, simple pastas, or warm salads. If I have leftovers, I toss the broccoli into a casserole or frittata, purée it into a soup, or use it to top a pizza later in the week. Even once the broccoli loses its just-roasted crispiness, it still has a deep, savory flavor that I love in all these dishes.