Twitterpated over Roast Broccoli with Lemon

It's no secret that I *heart* Twitter.

I mean, where else can you ask a vague question such as "Anyone remember that broccoli recipe that was making the rounds on blogs a while ago?" and have an answer, THE answer, in less than a minute?
Twitter beats Google that's for sure! Try Googling 'that broccoli recipe' and see if you get any luck. Instead of searching through hundreds of recipes looking for a specific one, a friend on Twitter immediately sent me a link to the one I was thinking of and offered a tip on preparing it as well. Sweet!
Ah, what a great group are those Tweeple.


So this recipe is a little far off from my usual repertoire of desserts and all things rich, but when Adam of The Amateur Gourmet called Ina Garten's recipe the 'best broccoli of your life', I knew I would have to give it a go. I changed it up a bit by tossing in some red peppers just because I had a bunch, and omitted the Parmesan cheese. Not that I don't think Parmesan isn't good on pretty much anything but I was temporarily out.
Guess what? The broccoli was still terrific. Meaty, tangy--it certainly had some soul to it, which made up for what it lacked in the looks department. It ain't pretty!
Looks aside, this just might be my new favorite vegetable side dish. Move over asparagus.

Did I really just say that?


Roasted Broccoli and Red Peppers with Lemon

Adapted from "Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics"
Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients:
4 to 5 pounds broccoli
2 red peppers
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Halve and seed peppers and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Place the broccoli florets and red pepper on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest and lemon juice.
Serve hot.