This Italian Parmesan Broccoli might sound simple, but it’s pretty deliciously simple. And with some day / night before prep, it comes together in fairly short order on the day of dinner.
Making Italian Parmesan Broccoli
Advanced Prep for Italian Parmesan Broccoli
The evening before, I trimmed the broccoli down into bite size pieces. I used a family sized bag, so this took a few minutes. You could “technically” skip this step, but . . . trimming the broccoli and making the pieces roughly the same size ensures more even cooking and makes it easier for your guests. (I also want to note that I did the prep on this dish, but my other half did the actual cooking.)
Lori Soap Box Note: Whenever possible and practical, I like things to be bite size-ish pieces because it makes the eating part of the guest experience smoother and allows for more even seasoning and saucing. Oh yeah, and I’ve been obsessed with small, bite size things since I was about 5 years old. Some things don’t change.
Place your trimmed pieces in a 2 gallon zip top bag. If you don’t have the 2 gallon size bags, just use 2 gallon size ones.
Combine your salt, ground black pepper, and Aleppo pepper. Sprinkle half of it into your bag, seal, and shake to coat. Sprinkle the other half into your bag, seal, and shake again.
If you’re prepping this in advance, pause here and stash your prepped broccoli in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it.
Cooking the Broccoli
When you’re ready to cook the Italian Parmesan Broccoli, drizzle 1 – 1.5 tablespoons of your oil onto the broccoli in the bag and shake to coat.
Heat the remaining 1 – 1.5 tablespoons of oil in your large skillet over medium high heat. Pour the broccoli into the heated pan and cook until beginning to soften, which will be about 10 minutes.
Then sprinkle on the parmesan and cook until it is fully incorporated and the broccoli is tender. About another 5 minutes.
Serve warm.
If you need to hold it for a short time before serving, transfer the broccoli to a 9×13 inch casserole dish, cover with heavy duty aluminum foil, and set in the oven on “Warm”. In my oven, this is 180 degrees F.
Related Recipes
If you’re wondering what kind of menu this Italian Parmesan Broccoli goes well with, check out my Easy Italian Dinner Party for some suggestions.
For some other variations on broccoli, take a look at these recipes:
- Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers and Parmesan
- Broccoli and Asparagus Louie Salad
- Creamy Garlic, Broccoli, and Mushroom Spaghetti Squash
Italian Parmesan Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Broccoli Florets Washed, trimmed, and cut into bite-size pieces
- Kosher Salt To Taste
- Ground Black Pepper To Taste
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo Pepper
- 2 – 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil Or Olive Oil
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Trim 2 pounds Broccoli Florets into bite-size pieces and toss in a large plastic zip top bag.2 pounds Broccoli Florets
- Add Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, and 1 teaspoon Aleppo Pepper to the bag with the broccoli and toss to coat. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil, seal bag, and toss again.Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Aleppo Pepper
- Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Saute broccoli until just fork tender.
- Add ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese to the broccoli and stir until it is fully incorporated.½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Remove from heat and serve.
Equipment
- Zip Top Bag Preferably, use a 2 gallon zip top bag so that you have room to shake the broccoli with the seasoning. I only find the 2 gallon bags at Gordon Food Service.
- Measuring Spoons
