Simple Roasted Broccoli – Very Easy Weeknight Side Dish

I've been recently simplifying my cooking attempts.  These new, quick meals have been inspired partly because of time and partly because I want a new set of weeknight staples to avoid ordering out.  My first new simple recipe attempt was roasted broccoli, to accompany a simple pasta-and-marinara-sauce main course. 

The inspiration for trying roasted broccoli, as opposed to re-using my beloved roasted cauliflower, is the amazing version that The Little Beet, a restaurant by work, produces.  The Little Beet seriously chars their vegetables, but somehow not too much to destroy the essence of the vegetable flavor.  

My roasted broccoli attempt, while not to The Little Beet-levels, was really fantastic.  The broccoli pretty well browned (though an additional 4-5 minutes in the oven probably would have been nice), nicely salted from the parmesan, and the lemon juice really helped make the dish feel light as well.  My recipe follows the picture of the seasoned raw broccoli, ready for the oven, below.

Weeknight Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 2 small heads of broccoli (one bunch), chopped into large bite size pieces
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, with additional olive oil available if desired
• crushed red pepper flakes, optional/to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• sea salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. grated parmesan

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, and line one baking sheet with aluminum foil
• Toss broccoli with olive oil, minced garlic, few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes (to taste), and salt and pepper (to taste).  Recommend starting with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
• Spread broccoli on lined baking sheet, so that the broccoli makes an even layer across the sheet.
• Place in oven, and roast for 10 minutes.  
• Stir broccoli on pan, while ultimately retaining an even layer, and turn pan around so front of pan is now in the back of the oven.
• Turn off oven, but keep broccoli in the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes (to desired browning).
• Remove broccoli from oven, and place in a serving bowl.  Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes, then add lemon juice, parmesan and another 1/2 tsp. salt.
• Let sit for another 5 – 10 minutes for flavors to blend before adjusting flavors to taste.  At this stage, you can also add more olive oil for more moisture if you prefer.  Note: if you adjust the flavors too soon after the broccoli comes out of the oven, you may over spice the broccoli, particularly with the lemon juice, because it takes a bit for the flavors to combine.
• Serve warm or cold.