For this roasted broccoli recipe broccoli stalks are roasted whole to end up with a sweet caramelized outside, soft inside. It’s seriously the best broccoli recipe ever! This recipe is sponsored by Pompeian Olive Oil.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with roasting vegetables whole. It started a while ago when I saw some Whole Roasted Cauliflower on Pinterest. I tried it (just with salt, pepper, and olive oil). It was really good. And then I saw this article from Bon Appetit that mentions roasting carrots and broccoli stalks whole. Carrots, check. Broccoli, double-check! Seriously, I’ve been roasting broccoli stalks whole at least once a week since I first tried it.
Here’s A Video Showing How To Roast Vegetables Whole:
Whole Roasted Broccoli
The head gets browned and caramelized on the outside while the stem and inner parts are soft. And the flavor is sweet and mellow.
For today’s recipe, I rubbed the heads with a cut garlic clove to make it into garlic roasted broccoli. I also put some red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and olive oil. But I should back up a bit. Before you rub it with garlic, season it, and put it in a pan, you need to peel the broccoli stalks. I found this hard to explain so I took pictures of the process and included them in the step-by-step instructions.
Step By Step Instructions:
First, preheat the oven to 400°F. If your broccoli comes as one big attached head, break it into three or four stalks. Use your fingers to tear off any leaves.
Use a paring knife to peel the stalks. Start near the base of the florets (where the florets meet the stalk) and slice down toward the bottom of the stem.
Trim off the bottom 1/4 inch of stalk.
Now your stems are peeled and your broccoli is ready to get seasoned, oiled, and roasted. First, cut a clove of garlic in half and rub the cut side all over the head of the broccoli stalks.
Get ready to roast. Spray a 13×11″ pan with olive oil.
Add the broccoli stalks. Spray them with olive oil. Flip them over and spray the underside too.
Season, in this case with salt and red pepper flakes.
Roast until starting to brown on the head and fork-tender at the stock.
I serve one big stem per person. But I like to make extra because people usually want seconds!
If you love roasting vegetables, you’ll also love my recent Roasted Italian Cauliflower recipe. Cauliflower florets are tossed with olive oil, tomato paste, and Parmesan cheese before roasting. It’s a wonderful side to have with plain spaghetti in olive oil and garlic.
More Easy Roasted Vegetables
You can explore all of my side dish recipes, but here are some more simple vegetable recipes to get you started.
Whole Oven Roasted Broccoli Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This broccoli is roasted whole. First peel the stalks according to the instructions above. Then add a bit of oil, some seasoning and put it into the oven until it’s soft on the inside and caramelized on the outside. It’s a perfect vegetable kind of thing!
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli broken into 3–4 big stalks
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
- olive oil spray
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Peel the broccoli stalks and trim off the bottom 1/4-inch of stalk. Rub the heads of broccoli with the cut side of the garlic clove.
- Spray a 13″x9″ pan with olive oil spray. Add the broccoli stalks. Spray them on both sides with more of the olive oil. Season the heads and stalks with the salt and red pepper flakes.
- Roast until the heads darken in places and the stalks are fork tender, 30-35 minutes.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
This post originally appeared in November 2014 and was revised and republished in March 2020.
Aubry says
I used a vegetable peeler. Very fast and was easy.
Christine Pittman says
Aubry, Thanks for the tip!
Claudia @ HomeMade with love says
That’s almost how I do my brocoli. I press the garlic over the brocoli, rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then it goes straight to the grill. :) yummy
Christine Pittman says
Claudia, Oh! Do you grill it whole? I’ve got to try that. Sounds incredible!
Claudia @ HomeMade with love says
yes :) I really just break the brocoli in pieces, pour olive oil over it, press 1 garlic, salt and pepper everything. Then mix well by hand and put the brocoli pieces on the grill. Usually doesnt even take long! They get a nice roasted flavor and are still a bit crunchy. I love them as a side..makes me feel a little less guilty when I grill sausages :D
Becca from It's Yummi! says
Lovin’ that garlic and bite of red pepper! Normally, Brian’s not big on broccoli (without scads of cheese on it), but I bet he’ll love this recipe!
Jon says
what happens if you don’t peel it?
Christine Pittman says
Hi Jon, If you don’t peel the stems, then the outside of them is really tough and chewy. It may seem like a lot of work but it’s really quick and easy once you get the hang of it. And it’s totally worth it. Have a great day! -Christine
Sherri says
I had no idea that you could cook broccoli whole! Trying this tonight!!
Christine Pittman says
Sherri, Fantastic! Let me know how it turns out. Have a great day! -Christine