Ina Garten’s Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Ina Garten’s Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli Recipe on Food52? ›

Wash AND dry your veggies.

After you wash your head of broccoli, make sure to dry it off before you toss it with the oil. A little moisture is ok, but if it's too wet when it goes in the oven, it won't get brown and crisp.

Wash AND dry your veggies.

After you wash your head of broccoli, make sure to dry it off before you toss it with the oil. A little moisture is ok, but if it's too wet when it goes in the oven, it won't get brown and crisp.

To blanch broccoli, start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, submerge chopped broccoli florets into the pot. It does not take long to blanch broccoli – only about 30-60 seconds, so keep an eye out for when the color changes from dull green to bright green.

While boiled broccoli is often soggy, steamed broccoli is characteristically crisp-tender. Plus, when you boil broccoli, some of the nutrients leach into the boiling water. You don't have to worry about that with steaming. Your steamed broccoli will be a great meal-prep building block because it's like a blank canvas.

Steamed Broccoli: This is a simple and healthy way to prepare broccoli. Simply steam the broccoli until it is tender and bright green, then season it with salt and pepper to taste. Roasted Broccoli: Roasting broccoli brings out its natural sweetness and gives it a crispy texture.

The tender, fuzzy “tree” tips of roasted broccoli florets are the most delicious, but they are also quick to burn. Make sure the florets are well-coated with olive oil to keep this from happening. Don't Crowd the Pan. If the florets are too close, they will steam instead of roast.

tips for making the best Roasted Broccoli

DRY DRY DRY your broccoli! Obviously you have to wash the broccoli first, but the problem is that broccoli really tends to hold water in all of those little florets. However, the drier the broccoli, the crispier it will get when you roast it; wet broccoli steams.

If you don't blanch your broccoli, it will turn color and acquire a bitter taste. You can either stick it in boiling water for three minutes to blanch, or steam it for five minutes, whichever you choose.

Bring 4 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rapid boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Carefully lower the broccoli florets into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green and just barely tender.

Broccoli — florets and stems — must be blanched for effective freezing. If you freeze it raw, you'll wind up with bitter, drab green, shriveled stems. Blanching preserves the bright green color and tasty flavor. You can either blanch in boiling water for three minutes or steam for five minutes.

What is the healthiest way to eat broccoli? ›

Cooking (Or Not Cooking) Broccoli To Protect Its Nutritional Riches : The Salt Cooking broccoli too long destroys the beneficial enzyme that breaks down chemicals into cancer fighters. The best way to eat it is raw or steamed for just two to three minutes, a nutrition expert says.

Yes, dogs can eat broccoli. Dogs can eat the vegetable both cooked and raw, as long as there are no seasonings or oils added. However, this vegetable should always be given in very small quantities, especially because the florets contain isothiocyanates, which can cause gastric irritation in dogs.

Roasted broccoli is a healthy side dish with major crowd appeal. Broccoli contains a lot of good-for-you fiber, vitamin C, and a surprising amount of protein, too. Who knew? If you've been in a rut with side dishes lately, or you're tired of steamed broccoli, you're going to love this simple side.

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? As with everything made by chefs, they have unexpected (read: unhealthy) additions to their meals — mostly butter, oil and heaps of salt. An excellent tip for the perfect broccoli is the blanching step.

It's definitely hard to find a spice or herb that doesn't work with broccoli or broccolini. Any combination of garlic, salt, pepper and any classic herbs, (basil, rosemary, sage, parsley, tarragon, thyme, etc.,) is a surefire way to treat these veggies right.

Reasons people might dislike broccoli: Bitterness: Some people have a heightened sensitivity to bitter flavors, including certain compounds naturally present in broccoli. Overcooking: Boiling or overcooking can make broccoli mushy and dull its flavor, resulting in a less pleasant experience.

You should always wash fresh produce before eating or cooking, but another important step when roasting is to make sure your vegetables are dry. Water generates steam, and again, we want to avoid steam to ensure the vegetables turn brown and crispy.

Fill a large bowl with cold or warm water. Allow it to soak for 2 minutes, then dump the vegetables into a colander and allow the soaking water to drain away. Rinse the broccoli again under running water while it's still in the colander.

If you don't wash your fruits and vegetables, you're not just making yourself susceptible to food poisoning, illness, and other people's sneezes and coughs. You're also inviting dirt, insects, and other elements of the earth that may be left behind into your meal.

Food safety experts agree that it's unlikely that eating unwashed broccoli once in a while will hurt you. However, there's a slight chance you could get sick from bacteria or pesticides on the broccoli if you don't rinse it.