Lemon Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts
Remember when I told you I’d become obsessed with oven-roasted broccoli?
Well it was all I could do not to post this recipe immediately after that one (about roasted delicata squash and chickpeas… and broccoli or kale), but then I worried that you’d know the extent of my obsession and just how serious it was.
Instead I’ve posted two entire recipes in between! Although one of them also involves roasting things (a chicken on a bed of root vegetables— including the surprise hit: the purple potato).
I guess you could say that I am happy to be able to use my oven again without it immediately driving the temperature of my apartment up above 85 degrees.
The usually-seasonless Santa Barbara is making a valiant attempt at seasonfulness and has been experimenting with heavy rains and dabbling in chilly evenings. (It’s finally soup weather around here!)
Of course roasted broccoli is worth turning on your oven for in any season. For one thing, it only takes 9-12 minutes to roast.
(Don’t you love vegetable side dishes that come together that quickly?)
Also it’s delicious. Roasting broccoli– tossed in olive oil and lemon juice– brings out its warm, earthy, and subtly sweet hints of flavor. Top that with a cozy mix of pine nuts and Parmesan, or– in this case– nutritional yeast, and you have an irresistible side dish. Equal parts nutty, cheesy, and lemony.
And the texture! I dislike the flavor of raw broccoli, and hate (I know that’s a strong word…) the texture of mushy overly-steamed broccoli, but somehow once roasted, it takes on a firm yet slightly juicy crunch that’s downright addictive.
That’s why one bunch of broccoli, prepared this way, will serve 4-6 as a (Thanksgiving!) side dish, but 1-2 on a regular old weeknight. Yum.
Print this recipe. (PDF)
RECIPE:
Lemon Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts
(Serves 4-6 as a side dish)
Ingredients:
~ 1 large head broccoli, chopped into smaller pieces
~ ¼ cup olive oil
~ 2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from about ½ a lemon)
~ salt and black pepper, to taste
~ 2-3 Tbsp. pine nuts
OPTIONAL:
~ nutritional yeast or freshly grated Parmesan (generous sprinkling)
How to make it:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Then place just a small handful of broccoli trees into the dressing at a time– toss to coat them evenly, then sprinkle them with nutritional yeast, and transfer them to the baking sheet. (If using fresh Parmesan cheese instead, wait until the broccoli comes out of the oven.) Repeat until all of the broccoli’s been coated and sprinkled, then spread them out evenly across the baking sheet.
Nutritional yeast: You should try it!
3. Roast for 9-12 minutes, or until the broccoli has cooked through and is just starting to brown.
4. Transfer the broccoli to a serving dish and toss with the pine nuts (this should warm the pine nuts, making toasting them unnecessary in my opinion…). Sprinkle on a little freshly grated Parmesan, if desired, and serve warm.
Print this recipe! (PDF)
Related recipe posts:
> Roasted Delicata Squash with Chickpeas, Potatoes, and Kale or Broccoli
> Pad See-Ew and Green Papaya Salad
> Turkey Lentil Soup with Kale
spontaneous tomato 
I need to try this nutritional yeast out!
Yes, it’s great! I first thought of using it on oven-roasted broccoli because it’s so good on baked kale chips, but it’s nice on other things, too– like popcorn! :)
I think you are becoming my go-to for healthy inspiration. I love broccoli (if someone would have told me this as a kid I wouldn’t have believed it!), and the combo with pine nuts sounds devine.
That’s so nice to hear! …although it makes me think that the recipes I post on my blog must be slightly healthier overall than my actual diet… :)
I’m surprised by how much I love broccoli now too– much more than when I was a kid who used to eat only the stems! (While my little sister ate only the broccoli tops… We made a good team!)
Nice dish…and it almost seems like winter….at least there will be snow in the Sierras…
Thanks! I know; it’s been so chilly (and even rainy) in Santa Barbara recently! I’m really enjoying the cooler weather. (I’m sure I’ll change my tune when I go back to visit family in Wisconsin this December, though!)
Yum Allison, this looks so good! I don’t roast broccoli, but I really should! And I am in love with all things lemon.. :)
I’m with you on the lemon, Shira! You should definitely try roasting broccoli– it’s so quick to prepare, especially when you’re busy getting other dishes together…
Broccoli is easily my favorite vegetable, hands down. I’m always looking for new ways to experiment and this recipe looks like an excellent candidate- thanks for the inspiration!
You’re welcome! This has skyrocketed to my most frequent– and favorite– way to prepare broccoli (before this I liked to blanch it, and my girlfriend liked to sauté it in olive oil, then add a little chicken broth). I bet you’ll love it this way, too, if it’s already your favorite vegetable! :)
This sounds SO good!!! A must try! ;-)
Yes, definitely! :) It’s delicious, healthy, and– sometimes most importantly– so quick & easy to prepare!
Allison, I simply love the simplicity of this dish.
Thanks, Francesca! I love it too– it’s nice to be able to put a healthy vegetable side dish on the table so quickly to round out a meal.
I’ll try this recipe today, I have to cook broccoli for dinner :)
Yay, I’m glad you got to try it out! I hope you liked it! :)
This is one of my very favorite ways to prepare broccoli — I call it “blasted broccoli” since the oven’s so hot!
Nice! That’s a good name for it :) I’m curious– do you roast it at an even higher temperature than I do (425)? I’ve only tried it at either 400 or 425…
I go up to 220 celsius, which is 482 fahrenheit. So a bit hotter, yes. Hence the “blast”! (:
Cool, I’ll have to try that next time I make it! :)
This is such a lovely dish. I had forgotten all about it since I had it for the very first time in the Bahamas (buffet lunch at hotel). I was pregnant and thats’s all I could eat out of the large buffet. I remember enjoying this a lot. Thank you for the recipe Allison. I will be making it.
Nice, I’m glad to hear I could remind you of a dish that you enjoyed! Hopefully you like it just as much this time around…
pine nuts yum! love it on anything.. will have to try it your way…
I know, I love putting pine nuts on everything! Even on/in soups and on pizza! :)
I have pine nuts in my pantry and didn’t know what else I can use for after having bought for another dish. This sounds like a very simple and delicious dish to make!
Yes, it’s very simple and fast, and pine nuts are wonderful with the broccoli… though definitely not necessary… If you’re trying to come up with other ways to use your pine nuts, they are great ground up in pesto/pasta sauces, sprinkled over salads, or sprinkled onto pizza!