Home - Vegetables - Cauliflower - Parmesan Roasted Romanesco (30-Minutes)

Parmesan Roasted Romanesco (30-Minutes)

5 from 13 community reviews

Did you know you can easily save your favorite recipes? Create an account or log in to get started.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Learn how to prep, cut and roast Romanesco! This recipe for roasted Romanesco is simply the best way to enjoy the delicious, distinctive vegetable, a relative of broccoli and cauliflower. To cook, toss the florets on a sheet pan with lots of olive oil, garlic and seasonings and roast for about 20 minutes. This recipe can be made with broccoli as well.

Romaneso florets and a serving fork on a serving plate.
Roasted Romaneso is sweet, tender and nutty-tasting, with crisp brown edges.

Have you seen a chartreuse-green vegetable in your market that looks like a psychedelic version of cauliflower? That would be Romanesco. Do you wonder what it is and what the heck to do with it?

This recipe walks you through the steps to make the most of Romanesco’s incredibly sweet and nutty flavor. Roasted Romanesco is easy to prepare, and is ready to serve in about 25 minutes. The tender, caramelized nuggets are an excellent addition to a meal as a side dish, or it can be combined with pasta, rice or beans for a vegetarian meal idea.

I’ve always felt that roasting any type of brassica (hello spicy roasted cauliflower!) is one of the best ways to enjoy vegetables, and roasted Romanesco is a perfect example.

If you enjoy garlicky sauteed broccoli or cheesy caramelized roasted Brussels sprouts, you will really love this dish!

Learn about Romanesco

A close-up photo of a romanesco floret.
Romanesco florets form a mass of flower buds attached to a stalk.

FUN FACTS

  • Also called “romanesco broccoli” or “romanesco cauliflower,” the vegetable is actually neither of those. Romanesco is a member of the Brassica oleracea family, which means it’s a botanical cousin to cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.
  • Romanesco was first cultivated in Italy in the 16th century.
  • The texture of Romanesco is a little more delicate than its relatives, and it tastes sweeter and nuttier when cooked.
  • Whether you want to name it fractal broccoli, Roman cauliflower or Italian broccoli (as some do), know that it resembles cauliflower with a geometric spiral form, and has a gorgeous acid green color.
Two whole green cauliflower heads on a tray, with parsley leaves, dishes of salt. pepper and olive oil.

About the ingredients

  • Romanesco: Look for this incredibly interesting-looking type of Brassica at farmer’s markets and some grocery stores. Choose heads that are free of browning or bruises, preferably with the outer leaves still attached (which is a sign of freshness). Romanesco heads are usually smaller than a cauliflower, with an average weight of 1 1/2 pounds. I’ve experimented and found that two medium heads yield 7-8 cups of florets, a perfect amount for 4-6 servings.
  • Olive oil: Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. It’s the key to delicious flavor AND wonderful caramelization. I use a generous amount, and sometimes drizzle a bit more over the Romanesco just before serving.
  • Garlic: Use a plump clove of fresh garlic for the best flavor. Add it halfway through roasting to prevent it from burning in the hot oven. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, tossed with the olive oil and seasonings.
  • Parmesan cheese: Add grated cheese to the hot Romanesco just after removing from the oven. It will melt into a blanket of cheese instantly! Other cheeses that pair with Romanesco include feta, goat cheese, aged Cheddar, Gouda or blue cheese.
  • Chopped parsley: Fresh chopped parsley or tender sprigs look pretty on the plate. You can use another tender herb you enjoy, such as chives or basil.
  • Optional seasonings: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a pinch of crushed red chili or rinsed chopped capers to the finished dish.

How to prepare

Romaneso florets and a serving fork on a serving plate.

Roasted Romanesco with Parmesan

Karen Tedesco
Roasted Romaneso is sweet, tender and nutty-tasting, with crisp brown edges. This recipe for roasted Romanesco is simply the best way to enjoy the delicious, distinctive vegetable, a relative of broccoli and cauliflower.
Print Pin
5 from 13 community reviews
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Vegetables
Cuisine Vegetarian/Vegan
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 heads (1.5 kg) romanesco cauliflower, approximately 2¾-3 pounds total, untrimmed (to yield 7-8 cups florets)
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees.
  • Trim off the base of the Romanesco and remove any tough or damaged leaves. Reserve smaller tender leaves. Slice into quarters (or eighths, if the heads are large). Break off the florets with your hands. Roughly chop the tender inner stems and tender leaves.
  • Transfer the Romanesco to a rimmed sheet pan large enough to hold it without crowding (15"x10" is a good size). Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Spread the pieces out in one layer.
  • Roast 10 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan, and stir the pieces around. Continue roasting 10-15 more minutes, until the florets are tender and the edges are browned.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese and parsley over the Romanesco. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

  • Other cheeses that pair with Romanesco include feta, goat cheese, aged Cheddar, Gouda or blue cheese. Add the cheese as soon as the pan comes out of the oven so it will melt.
  • Add the garlic halfway through roasting to prevent it from burning in the hot oven. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, tossed with the olive oil and seasonings.
  • Roasted Romanesco will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, warm it in a 350 degree oven 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe? Search @Familystylefood or tag #familystylefood on Pinterest
Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.

5 from 13 votes (11 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment and star rating

Do you have a cooking question? Leave your comment below and let me know how I can help.

Did you love this recipe? Just click on the stars to leave a rating!

Recipe rating




Share your photo!Inspire others by uploading an image of your creation along with your review. The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

You may want to read my commenting policy before joining the conversation.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Stephanie Gutz says:

    5 stars
    YUM. This is my first try with romanesco and this is delicious.
    I don’t do much cheese so I sprinkled nutritional yeast and a splash of une plum vinegar for salt and some tang.
    I also used avocado oil instead of olive oil because it has a higher smoke point (500 compared to 325 for olive oil).
    Thanks for this recipe and for making it easy to have success with this vegetable .

  2. 5 stars
    I love romanesco! Beautiful and tasty and this looks like a wonderful way to prepare it!