For a delicious way to prepare beautiful romanesco, look no further than this Garlic and Lemon Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower!
Photos and recipe for this Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower updated 10/12/17. Original writing remains.
You arrive late to a dinner party, eager to indulge in the delicious meal [insert family member or friend who is an amazing cook] has prepared for the evening.
Cocktail hour is almost over, but before you can stomach your first glass of Chardonnay, you must grab one of the h’ordeuvres everyone is flaunting on their itty bitty napkins.
You make your way to the appetizer table, but in an instant, your hopes are crushed. Amongst empty trays and dishes, a measly run-of-the-mill crudité tray stares back at you. And the only veggie left? Cauliflower. Party fail.
Needless to say, cauliflower gets a pretty bad rep. You know, with its bland taste and weird smell and everything.
Believe me, I used to agree with all of the criticisms against this cruciferous vegetable. Until today, that is!
Romanesco cauliflower (also known as romanesco broccoli or just romanesco) is a cruciferous veggie and member of the brassica family. This means it’s a cousin of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage.
On first glance, you may think it’s part alien, but once you take a closer look at its intricate design, you’ll realize just how beautiful it is!
But romanesco is more than just pretty looks. Roasting this veggie brings out a flavor reminiscent of the best aspects of both broccoli and cauliflower. Roasted romanesco (especially with lemon and garlic) is an amazing addition to any meal. Ready to try it yet?!
If you answered yes, you may be wondering where to find it! I seem to have the best luck finding romanesco at farmers markets starting at the end of September and through November. Now that you know where to look, let’s get cooking!
For some other easy vegetable side dishes, check out:
- Simple Charred Broccoli and Red Onion
- Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
- Baked Orange Sesame Cauliflower
- Chili Sesame Sautéed Broccolini
- Mango Cucumber Salad
📖 Recipe
Garlic and Lemon Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 cups romanesco florets - approximately 1 head
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest - plus a little more, to taste
- Sea salt and ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place florets on the parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil and crushed garlic. Mix everything around with a spatula.
- Grate the lemon zest over these cruciferous beauties and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
- Bake for ~20 minutes, or until tender and browned.
- Serve warm, topped with more lemon zest to taste.
Nutrition
Mmmmm. I can’t stop eating them!
Enjoy,
Lizzie
CJ
Simple and delicious. Will use this recipe for other roasted vegetables! Thanks!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
mamamaria
It has the perfect texture- not too firm and not too mushy. The flavors are wonderful. Very delicious- thank you!!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so thrilled to hear that! Thanks for your review.
Julie Blockowitch
I’ll be making this for Thanksgiving. Nobody had problems with the garlic burning? Also, one part of the recipe says minced and the other says crushed. Which did everyone use?
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Julie, I hope the recipe turned out well for you. I have never had a problem with the garlic burning, but some readers prefer to add it later in the roasting time to prevent burning. Thanks for pointing out the typo about the garlic. It should all be minced or pressed with a garlic press.
Ruth
Bought this veg randomly when I saw it in a farm shop….used this recipe and I ate the whole thing myself. Oh my god…it was fab!!! So tasty. I mixed everything together in a bowl first and baked for 20 mins.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Ruth, yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe for romanesco!
Steve Eshbaugh
Great recipe, that is worth adding to my veggie rotation. For educational purposes, it’s not a cousin to the aforementioned Cruciferae; broccoli cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and romanesco are all cultivars of wild cabbage. They are all the same species, just varieties that look and taste quite different. They’re all the dreaded “genetically modified organisms.”
Linda G
Really yummy & really easy to prep & cook. Will definitely be making this again. The whole family loved it! Thanks for the recipe
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Linda, I’m thrilled that you and your family enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for your review!
Mary
This was delicious – because I can’t help myself from tinkering for the last 5 minutes of roasting I added some defrosted peas and three sliced spring onions along with a knob of butter too. We were really impressed with the Romanesco and will definitely be making it again. Thank you.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Mary, yay! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, and your additions sound delicious. Thanks for your 5-star review.
Raquel
This was incredibly delicious! I will definitely make again!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Yay, thanks for leaving a review!
Liz
Made this last night with a whole, large head of Romanesco (I doubled the recipe). The only thing that I changed is that I mixed up the oil & garlic in a large baggie, and put the cut-up veggies in there to completely coat them before putting on the cooking sheet and following the rest of the recipe as written. Thank you! Whole family enjoyed and asked me to make this again soon!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad to hear that you all enjoyed it! Thanks for your 5-star review, Liz!
Trois Hart
This is a good idea. The people who had trouble with the garlic burning likely had garlic that did not get coded properly with the olive oil.
TRACY
I also received the Romanesco in my Misfits box and was really excited to make it. I never knew about this veggie and saw it the first time on a program on the Food Network. I followed the recipe to a tee – extremely easy – and it came out wonderfully. Simple and so flavorful. Good intro to a veggie I had never had. And you are right, I know it is not carried in my local grocery stores so will have to be really on the lookout when I hit the Farmers Market this summer.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for letting me know!
Kitsy Abbott
I love this vegetable and tried to grow it in my garden. Not super successful but will try again. Whole Foods has it right now and I bought two heads, I too worried about the garlic burning so Half way through I lowered the temp to 350
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
It’s a great vegetable! I’m glad to hear you found it at Whole Foods and were able to try the recipe!
Missy
Do you have a whole foods? They have them now 6/10/21 I’m in Pa! I read they are actually a fall item?? So we shall see?? Lol
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Missy, great to hear that romanesco is at your Whole Foods right now! I have seen it at different times throughout the year at my local foods co-op and have spotted it once at Whole Foods too. It’s great that it’s becoming more available!! 🙂
Cheryl
Came in my misfit box. Followed recipe but did in air fryer. Yummy!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Great! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.