Roasted Romanesco
You’ve heard me rave about romanesco and seen the pointy, neon-hued vegetable pop up in my weekend farmers’ market runs lately, so I thought I’d share my favorite way to cook it. Grown widely in Italy, romanesco is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli and has a mild, almost sweet flavor when cooked. While its season is very brief and coming to an end, you can easily substitute cauliflower in this recipe. Roasted until the edges golden, with a zing from red pepper flakes and crispy, salty capers, it’s really perfection. This is one delicious side dish that we make weekly when I can get my hands on romanesco in the fall.
Roasted Romanesco
One head of romanesco, broken into florets (cauliflower also substitutes perfectly)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons of capers, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (go light if you like less heat)
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of garlic powder
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh Parmesan, grated
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread romanesco florets on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then season with salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper and garlic powder. Scatter the capers on top. Roast, turning halfway through, about 20-30 minutes, until romanesco edges golden and capers become crispy. Lifting the sides of the parchment paper, transfer to a bowl. Top with fresh parsley and Parmesan before serving.