- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
- The Sheet Pan I L❤️VE!
- Can you roast broccoli and cauliflower at the same time?
- It saves SO much time!
- Oops! What did I do wrong?
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Parmesan
- What to serve with roasted broccoli and cauliflower
- More roasted vegetable side dishes
Why my roasted broccoli and cauliflower never come out mushy
Ever since I was a child, one of my favorite side dishes my mom made regularly was steamed broccoli. But let me not lead you astray… by no means was I eating green cruciferous vegetables with a smile on my face.
While yes, I did LOVE broccoli… I LOVED broccoli when it was doused in a TON of melted Cheese Whiz.
And over two decades later, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower still taste better when topped with a bit of cheese. This time, though, it’s a more grown-up version (and not nearly as processed).
The part that took me the longest to work out was the timing. Cauliflower needs closer to 25 minutes in a hot oven while broccoli only needs 13 to 15, which is exactly why a pan that goes in all at once gives you one mushy vegetable sitting next to a raw one.
So add the cauliflower to the sheet pan first, then add the broccoli partway through. Same pan, same garlic butter sauce, no babysitting.
Add in some crushed garlic cloves, lemon zest, and fresh herbs and you’ll have yourself a dinner party-worthy side dish!
Why you’ll love this roasted broccoli and cauliflower
- It goes with just about any protein you already had planned. Chicken, steak, fish, pork, it fits next to all of them.
- 30 minutes start to finish, and the whole thing roasts on a single sheet pan.
- Garlic, lemon zest, and Parmesan do the seasoning. No breadcrumbs, no long spice list.
- Both vegetables actually come out right, because the cauliflower gets a head start instead of going in at the same time.
Excellent! The zest & parm really add a lot of flavor!
– Lisa
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Broccoli: Cut into bite-sized florets, roughly an inch across. Chinese broccoli works too, though it cooks faster than regular broccoli so you’ll want to pull it sooner.
- Cauliflower: Heads vary a lot in size, so look for one about 6 inches across and it will balance out nicely against one head of broccoli.
- Olive oil and butter: Both go into the sauce, since the butter carries the garlic and the oil is what crisps the edges. Avocado oil works just as well as olive oil if that’s what you keep around.
- Lemon zest: This is the ingredient that keeps the whole pan from tasting flat. If you’re not sure how to get it, here’s how to zest a lemon five different ways.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves, crushed. Garlic powder will work but it won’t taste the same, and a garlic press gets you smaller pieces that spread through the whole pan instead of clumping.
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated is what you want, since it melts into the florets instead of sliding off in clumps.
- Parsley: Curly leaf, finely chopped and sprinkled on after roasting. Flat-leaf Italian parsley or even fresh basil both work.
- Dairy-free and vegan: Swap the butter for more oil and use a dairy-free cheese. For fully vegan, vegan butter sticks and vegan Parmesan both do the job.
How to Make Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Cut everything into florets
Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized chunks about an inch wide. Too small and they burn before the timer goes off, too large and they’re still hard in the middle. (Here’s how to cut cauliflower if the core always trips you up.)
Keep more leaves and less trunk
Leave as much or as little of the stalk as you like. The florets are what catch the sauce and crisp up, so I tend to prefer less trunk and more leaves.
Make the garlic butter sauce
Whisk the olive oil, melted butter, crushed garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Is it just me, or does EVERYTHING taste better with a bit of butter and garlic?
Roast the cauliflower first
Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the cauliflower with half the sauce and 3 tablespoons of Parmesan, spread it out in a single layer, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Reach for parchment over foil
Parchment is the better call at this temperature. It keeps the Parmesan from welding itself to the pan, though foil will do if it’s all you have.
The Sheet Pan I L❤️VE!
Your veggies will end up steaming instead of roasting if you overcrowd the pan. So my tip… use the largest sheet pan you have and spread everything out!
Add the broccoli
Toss the broccoli in that same bowl with the rest of the sauce and 3 more tablespoons of Parmesan. Add it to the pan with the cauliflower, spread everything out, and roast for another 13 to 15 minutes until the edges brown and crisp.
It saves SO much time!
Since it’s super important to get the garlic pretty small for this recipe, a garlic press like this one is a lifesaver!
It’s easy to use, finely minces the garlic, and does it in a fraction of the time as chopping it up by hand.
Serve it hot
Top the vegetables with the last of the Parmesan and the chopped parsley right out of the oven. They’re great next to chicken, steak, fish, or pork.
Oops! What did I do wrong?
Why is my cauliflower still hard?
It either went onto the pan at the same time as the broccoli, or the florets were cut bigger than an inch. Give the cauliflower its full 8 to 10 minutes alone before the broccoli joins it, and cut the pieces closer to bite-sized next time.
Why did my broccoli come out too dark?
Broccoli only needs 13 to 15 minutes at 425°F, so if it went in with the cauliflower it got a head start it never needed. Florets along the outside edge of the pan also brown faster, so rotate the pan halfway if your oven runs hot on one side.
Why aren’t the edges getting crispy?
The pan is almost certainly too crowded. Everything needs to sit in a single layer with a little space between the florets, because pieces that touch end up steaming each other instead of roasting. Use two pans if you have to.
Why is my Parmesan burning instead of melting?
Hold back the last couple of tablespoons and add them after roasting rather than putting all the cheese on up front. The Parmesan that goes in with the sauce is there to brown into the florets, and the Parmesan that goes on at the end is there to actually taste like Parmesan.
How long do they need if I’m only making one of them?
For broccoli on its own, roast at 425°F for 13 to 15 minutes. For cauliflower on its own, roast at that same temperature for 25 to 30 minutes.
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Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Parmesan
email this recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 head broccoli cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese grated, divided
- 3 tablespoons parsley curly leaf, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Whisk oil, butter, crushed garlic, zest, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add cauliflower to a large bowl along with half of the sauce and 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Toss until well coated.1 head cauliflower
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread cauliflower on the pan in a single layer. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes .
- While cauliflower is roasting, add broccoli to the same large bowl along with the remaining sauce and 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Toss until well coated.1 head broccoli
- Add broccoli to the baking sheet full of cauliflower and spread out evenly on the pan.
- Return to oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to crisp up and brown slightly.
- Serve vegetables with the remaining Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy!3 tablespoons parsley
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Notes
- Prepping tips: Learn how to cut cauliflower into florets and how to zest a lemon.
- Timing: Cauliflower needs closer to 25 minutes at 425°F while broccoli only needs 13 to 15, which is why the cauliflower goes on the pan first. Making just one of them? Roast broccoli for 13 to 15 minutes and cauliflower for 25 to 30.
- Salt: Parmesan brings plenty of its own salt, so start light and add more after roasting if it needs it.
- Give them room: Keep the florets in a single layer with a little space between them. Pieces that touch steam each other instead of crisping, so grab a second pan if the first one is crowded.
- Substitutions: Avocado oil works in place of olive oil. For dairy-free, swap the butter for more oil and use a dairy-free cheese.
- Prep ahead: Chop the vegetables up to 2 to 3 days ahead if you didn’t buy them pre-chopped.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cool the vegetables completely, flash freeze in a single layer for a few hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe dish for up to 6 to 9 months. They soften once thawed and won’t crisp back up the way they were fresh.
- Reheating: Return to a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or warm in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with roasted broccoli and cauliflower
This is the side that goes with almost anything you already had planned for the protein. It’s great next to Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs or a Spatchcock Chicken, and since the chicken needs to rest anyway, that resting window is right about when the vegetables want the oven.
For seafood nights it’s good with Lemon Baked Salmon in Foil or Blackened Mahi Mahi, where the lemon zest on the florets picks up whatever citrus is already on the fish. Air Fryer Steak is another easy one, since it never competes for the oven at all.
Want a second side on the table? Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes run in the same garlic-and-Parmesan direction and can share a rack at the same temperature. Italian Oven-Roasted Vegetables is the move when you’d rather do one big pan of everything instead of two.
Only feeding broccoli people? Honey Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Crispy Smashed Broccoli with Parmesan are both worth a look, and Air Fryer Broccoli is the fastest of the three. If it’s cheese you’re after, Broccoli au Gratin goes all the way there.
On a cauliflower-only night, try Garlic Mashed Cauliflower or Curry Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Sauce for something with a little more spice behind it.
More roasted vegetable side dishes
Can’t stop, won’t stop with the sheet pan vegetables? Same. These are the ones that keep coming back around in our house.
Excellent! The zest & parm really add a lot of flavor!
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed the flavors. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating, Lisa! 🙂
Excellent!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for the comment and rating 🙂
Very good & easy, thanks,
So happy to hear that, Sandy! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Delicious, but didn’t need the second 1/2 tsp. salt. The Parmesan, as well as the first 1/2 tsp. provided enough salt.
Great to know! Thanks so much for leaving your comment 🙂
Making this for the 1st time tonight to go with steak! I’ve done a similar recipe with cauliflower only. I love the addition of broccoli here. I can’t wait til it’s done!!!
Yay, Kristen!! Broccoli and cauliflower are a match made in heaven 🙂 Hope you enjoyed the dish!
What an easy side dish recipe!
Thanks so much, Maddie!