I’ve been baking a lot of sugary, chocolatey, marshmallowy things lately. So I figured we could all use something that is green naturally.

I feel like this has a lot of ingredients for a side dish, but most of them are things I usually have around anyway. And I made it with some spaghetti with cheese and pepper (cacio e pepe) — which I’ll post in the next day or two — so I had to grate cheese regardless.

Anyway, it is easy and tasty if you have the stuff around. And while you can use fresh broccoli, I used frozen and it was still great. Enjoy!

Garlicky parmesan broccoli (adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)
Serves 3-4
1 to 1 1/2 pounds broccoli
1 garlic clove
olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional – I skipped this)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (freshly grated if possible)
1-2 teaspoons julienned fresh basil leaves (I skipped this, too)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If using fresh broccoli, cut the florets from the stalks, leaving about an inch or two of stalk attached. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan in a single layer.

Peel the garlic clove and thinly slice it, then sprinkle pieces over broccoli. Drizzle a tablespoon to a tablespoon and a half over the broccoli, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.

Roast for about 20 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. While broccoli is cooking, toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a small skillet for a minute or two (until they smell nutty).

Take the broccoli out of the oven and toss with another 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon zest (if using), lemon juice, pine nuts, cheese and basil. Serve hot.