Broccoli

Parmesan Crusted Broccoli

April 22, 2013
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 2-4
Author Notes

The warmth from the garlic and the acidity of the balsamic vinegar help bring out the sharpness of the parmesan, giving the broccoli a rich, robust quality. The crunch of the parmesan crust makes this dish hard to resist. Broccoli has never tasted this good! —Pooja Desai Patel

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Ingredients
  • 1 pound broccoli florets
  • 3 pieces of garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive-oil
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
  • salt to taste
Directions
  1. Steam the broccoli in the microwave on high for five minutes. If you are using frozen broccoli, you can simply thaw it before using.
  2. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat and add garlic and crushed red pepper.
  3. When the garlic is fragrant and starting to turn ever so slightly golden (be cautious since garlic has a tendency to burn quickly), mix in the broccoli, salt, and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the balsamic vinegar and grated Parmesan. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the cheese has created a crispy brown coating on the florets. That i€™s when you will know that it'€™s done.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

10 Reviews

Terry September 2, 2017
I tried this and it tasted good but it never got crispy. I steamed it to tender first in a steamer basket and fudged the proportions a bit as I used what I had. Could I have overcooked the broccoli? I don't know where all the extra moisture would have come from.
Pooja D. September 2, 2017
Hi Terry,
The moisture was surely a result of steaming it. Perhaps, cooking the broccoli on high heat after steaming it would have helped the moisture evaporate (similar to cooking mushrooms). Hopefully, next time the end result will be better!
Debby September 16, 2015
Had difficulty getting the cheese to adhere to the broccoli, any tips for making this work?
Pooja D. September 17, 2015
Hi Debby,
Having the cheese be room temperature really helps with this. Also, be sure to add the cheese with the balsamic; the moisture of the vinegar helps the cheese adhere. Hope this helps!
Larry July 21, 2015
I saw this and wanted to try, but didn't have broccoli on hand. I had both cauliflower and romanesco I followed the recipe exactly to a "t" for the cauliflower and was very, very happy with the results. Next time I make it though I think I will add some oil packed anchovies and a fresh red chili. For the romanesco I wanted to preserve it's nuttiness, so I used safflower oil and used a dry ricotta in place of the Parmesan and then sprinkled some walnut oil over the finished dish. Thanks for the recipe, and the ideas it gave.
Pooja D. July 21, 2015
Larry, this version sounds delicious, especially with the ricotta! So glad this recipe served as a good base for your creativity.
Tammi W. June 24, 2014
Oh yes, this is so on! I've been a bit bored with broccoli and this will get me out of the rut!
Rkelly3042 February 22, 2014
This is soooo good!
Muse April 25, 2013
This looks absolutely delicious...am going to make some for dinner tonight!
AntoniaJames April 24, 2013
Deadly, but deliciously so. Special occasion food for sure, but wow, this one looks good! ;o)