Roasted Broccoli
The Barefoot Contessa Strikes Again
Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) has lots of fans. But some of her recipes have fans as well, i.e., Roasted Broccoli from her cookbook Back to Basics. What is it about this simple dish that causes vegetable-hating, grown men to opine grandly about the crazy, tasty recipe?
Even finicky children find it a veggie lullaby. It doesn’t even have butter on it, for heaven’s sake! It’s merely sprinkled with olive oil, topped with garlic slivers, salt and pepper and left in a hot oven for nearly a half hour.
When the florets becomes a bit charred, out they come to get another dash of olive oil, a bit of lemon juice and zest, toasted pine nuts, and a dash of fresh Parm and basil. That’s it.
Much Praised
I read a number of reviews and found that some readers left out the pine nuts or subbed another variety, lessened the lemon juice, and nearly all complained that the garlic burned. Still they would make the recipe again and call for the dish to be served at their last meal.
A Sample Comment
I am 44 years old, and a professed broccoli hater. Until today, had never eaten more than a single floret of broccoli in one sitting. Last week, I made a request of my Facebook friends, to give me recipes that would make me love broccoli. This was the one I chose from the bunch. I made 1/4 recipe because I was cooking for myself, and just polished off the entire plate! I am sincerely speechless. If you think you loathe broccoli, please try this recipe and tell me you’re not a convert.
Amazing! I headed to the store for a head of broccoli.
Since then I’ve made this dish twice—thus two different photos. Ina gives a similar, but simpler, treatment to whole Brussels sprouts: a shellacking with oil, salt and pepper and into the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve either recipe with kudos to the Barefoot Contessa. Video here. Recipe here.
