Charred Broccoli coated in a Homemade Italian Dressing is an unusual yet tasty side dish created accidentally by burning the broccoli. This is perfect for those who think they can’t cook because burning is the trick!
This recipe was discovered when my daughter was roasting broccoli and it stayed in the oven a little too long. The broccoli came out burnt and crisp around the edges. I tried one and found it tasted amazing! I then mixed it with some of my homemade Italian dressing and the kids devoured it.
You can have this dish in 10 minutes and it can accompany just about anything. You can add it to salads, dip them in your favorite sauce, mix it in with rice, or best of all, eat it as is.
And talk about simple! All you have to do is mix the broccoli with a little olive oil on a baking sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and broil it until it’s blackened. Make the homemade Italian dressing in minutes by whisking or shaking all the ingredients together. Pour the dressing over the broccoli once it’s beautifully charred and you have yourself a hell of a side dish.
You mean I have to purposely burn it? Yes. Will it taste good? Yes. Should I make it? Yes.
I bought a bag of organic broccoli florets at Trader Joe’s which made the prep ridiculously easier. If you want to cut your own from a head of broccoli, cut the florets about the same size or make the dish look more elegant by cutting the head into spears and halve or quarter them. You can also char the stems if they’re sliced in ½ inch chunks so they cook through.
Place all the broccoli florets onto a baking sheet. Split the big ones so they're pretty much the same size. Sometimes I don’t bother with a knife - I just grab a large floret and tear it apart into two pieces. This is good for anger management. Picture someone who has been driving you crazy and have fun with it. Remember though, we don’t want tiny pieces flying everywhere. We just want pieces about an inch or so. See the pics for inspiration.
Drizzle the broccoli with the oil and toss it all up using your hands. We only need a small amount of oil because we don't want the broccoli to steam.
Scatter broccoli on baking sheet in one layer. Broil for about 2 - 3 minutes and check to see if they're nicely charred. If they're not blackened around the edges, return under broiler for another minute and check again. Flip them over and broil for another 2 minutes. Check and remove if charred otherwise, broil a little longer and check.
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Since ovens run differently it could take a few minutes longer or less. I've made these using two different ovens and one oven took 5 minutes total and the other took 9 minutes.
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Finally, drizzle about ¼ cup of the Italian dressing over the broccoli and toss. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over, if using, and toss.
If you like roasted veggies, you should definitely try:
- Salty golden smashed potatoes
- Roasted spiced sweet potato planks
- Roasted spiced sweet potatoes
- Roasted carrots with butter and dill
- Roasted spiced acorn squash
- Roasted asparagus with mozzarella
- Grilled vegetables with feta and balsamic vinaigrette
- Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon
- Curry roasted cauliflower
Life is too short for mediocre food.
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Charred Broccoli with Homemade Italian Dressing
PRINT PIN SAVEServes 4 as a side.
Equipment Used
Ingredients
For Broccoli:
- 1 pound broccoli florets or spears*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher or sea salt
- ¼ cup Homemade Italian Dressing
Optional:
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Place an oven rack to the top rack of the oven. Heat the broiler.
- Toss the broccoli on the baking sheet with the oil and a pinch of kosher salt. It's only a small amount of oil because we don't need a lot and don't want the broccoli to steam.
- Scatter the broccoli to make one layer. We don’t want any of them piled on top of each other. Broil for about 2 - 3 minutes and check to see if they're nicely charred. If they're not blackened around the edges, return under broiler for another minute and check again. Flip them over and broil for another 2 minutes. Check and remove if charred otherwise, broil a little longer and check.
- Keep an eye on it since all ovens are different.
- Transfer broccoli to a bowl or platter and toss with Italian dressing and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, if using.
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