Roasted Broccoli with Pecans

The benefits of eating broccoli are multifold: it is a good source of vitamins including K and C, it’s full of calcium, and it is anti-inflammatory to name a few. At one time in my life, even knowing these health benefits, I couldn’t bring myself to eat broccoli. I painstakingly learned to eat raw florets on salads as I got older, but cooked broccoli remained too mushy and was usually served smothered in too much cheese sauce.

Then one day I was introduced to broccoli stir-fried in garlic sauce. This broccoli maintained its crunch and its appetizing bright green color instead of the soggy and washed-out look I was used to seeing served. This inspired me to experiment at home to learn how to make a good-tasting broccoli dish. I started by cooking broccoli in broth instead of water and being careful not to cook out the crunch.

Then, I tried roasting broccoli in the oven and found that it had a different taste from both boiling and stir-frying. With all these delicious ways to cook broccoli under my belt, I was hooked on this superfood!

This roasted broccoli recipe is one that I have used over and over because it is always so well received. Someone asks me for the recipe every time I serve it. It is easy and quick to make, tastes great, and even has the broccoli-averse giving it a try!

Roasted Broccoli with Pecans

Ingredients

• 4 heads broccoli, washed and cut into florets
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions for Broccoli

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place broccoli in a large baking dish or a jelly roll pan with sides and toss with oil, pepper, and salt.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned.

Directions for Pecans

1. In a skillet, place the pecan pieces and cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until they start to brown. Turn off the heat and place butter in the skillet and let it melt. Stir to coat the pecans.
2. When the broccoli comes out of the oven, drizzle the melted butter and pecans over the broccoli and stir to coat. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Savory Hints

• This recipe is best when served right out of the oven.
• Broccoli shrinks when roasted so what looks like a lot of florets before cooking will be a lot less after roasting.
• For less browned broccoli, reduce cooking time to 12 minutes.
• The broccoli browns better when placed in a single layer in the cooking pan.
• For ease of preparation, cut up the broccoli and pecans a day ahead of time and store each in their own plastic bag.
• For a spicy kick, sprinkle red pepper flakes over the cooked broccoli and stir.
• If using salted butter, reduce the salt amount to 1 teaspoon.