Roasted Romanesco is an easy new vegetable side dish to try. Romanesco has flavor somewhat like a combination of cauliflower and broccoli. Simply chop the Romanesco into florets, toss with olive oil and garlic and roast. Don’t forget to finish it with some good cheese! Read on for more details about the vegetable and preparation, or jump ahead to our Roasted Romanesco recipe
Have you heard of the vegetable, “Romanesco”? I hadn’t heard of it or seen it until this light green vegetable that looks like cross between a cauliflower and broccoli appeared recently at Whole Foods. The intricate spiral patterns of the Romanesco florets captured my attention, and I had to try it.
Whole Foods labeled the vegetable as simply Romanesco, but the vegetable is also known as Romanesco broccoli or Romanesco cauliflower. As you might guess from its name, Romanesco has its roots in Italy, where it has grown since the 16th century.
I figured roasting Romanesco would be the way to go, given its similarity to broccoli and cauliflower. That idea was rewarded when I put together this tasty and simple Roasted Romanesco dish the other night.
Simply tossed with some olive oil, garlic powder and a bit of salt, then roasted for about 20 minutes, and you have a tasty new vegetable side dish. The taste of the Romanesco, like its looks, is sort of a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Be sure to use some good quality cheese when making the dish, as that enhances the nutty character of the vegetable.
Our 10 year old critic said the Roasted Romanesco was “OK”. I don’t know about your home, but a new vegetable that gets eaten without too much complaint is a win as far as I’m concerned!
We served the Roasted Romanesco as part of an Italian meal getting ready for the March Italian Food, Wine and Travel event. I covered the wine details in that post, but will mention that the Romanesco was good alongside our Linguine with Meatless Meat Sauce.
So if you are looking for a new vegetable, particularly to serve with an Italian meal, give this Roasted Romanesco a try!
Roasted Romanesco Recipe
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Recipe card
Roasted Romanesco
Roasted Romanesco is a simple and flavorful vegetable side dish, tossed with garlic, olive oil and Parmigiano. Somewhat like a combination of broccoli and cauliflower.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 head Romanesco, chopped into small florets
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Spread the chopped Romanesco in a shallow roasting pan. Toss with 2 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder and salt.
- Place the Romanesco roasting pan into the oven. Roast for about 20 minutes, until browned on the outside and tender. The vegetable should be easily pierced with a fork when done.
- Toss the Roasted Romanesco with the remaining tablespoon olive and the cheese. Serve and enjoy as a side dish.
Jeff @ Make It Like a Man!
I,ve seen this in the grocery store, but I’ve never tried one. I had no idea they went back a few centuries. I mistakenly assumed they weresome modern hybrid.
Cooking Chat
That was my guess, too, Jeff.