Cooking 101: How to Roast Broccoli

If I am cooking a small amount of broccoli, I'll usually sauté it in a pan using coconut oil, butter, olive oil or a rendered animal fat.

But if I need a lot more (to serve at a dinner party or to make for the week, for example), I'll cut the broccoli into small spears and roast them in the oven for a very short time. The process is simple.

First, wash the broccoli and shake it dry. Cut it into small spears (about the size of a finger), including some of the stem (you paid for it!). Put the broccoli into a bowl, add some olive oil, unrefined sea salt and fresh ground pepper and mix so the broccoli is evenly coated. Put the broccoli onto a baking sheet, keeping the broccoli in a single layer.
 
Put the baking sheet into a preheat 350 degree oven and cook the broccoli until it just begins to soften and turn a brighter green. The broccoli I cooked over the weekend took about eight minutes to get to this stage, but exact time will depend on the size of the broccoli spears and the true temperature of your oven. Do not worry if the broccoli seems a little al dente when you remove it from the oven; the broccoli, like most food, will continue to cook. (Click here to read more about the principle of carryover cooking.)
 
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a cooling rack, which will help the broccoli cool quicker. Also, give a stir every couple minutes, which will help any trapped heat escape from between the broccoli and the baking sheet.