Roasted Romanesco with Crispy Panko

Romanesco? More Like Roma-Yes-Co

I like Romanesco. In fact, I like it a lot. And I think you'll like this Roasted Romanesco dish as well.

Some folks refer to it as Romanesco broccoli, but I think Romanesco cauliflower would describe the taste a little more accurately. Whatever you want to call it, it's a bit sweeter than either broccoli or cauliflower, and very delicious. Topped with buttery, crunchy, seasoned Panko bread crumbs? This is a vegetable that's worth getting freaky with.

As a bonus, Romanesco florets are easier to break apart than cauliflower and less messy to break apart than broccoli. It's basically my dream vegetable.

I've got a soft spot for vegetable side dishes that are simply delicious. With that crispy, buttery panko topping, this roasted Romanesco is good enough to just eat straight from the pan. But if you want to get fancy, I love serving it on a puddle of lemony tahini sauce like in this sublime roasted tahini cauliflower dish.

Step 1: break down the Romanesco

Start by breaking your Romanesco into bite-sized florets. It's dealer's choice on the size, but just make sure they're more or less uniform so they roast at the same rate.

Step 2: oil & season

Toss the florets with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a single layer over two large baking sheets. More room = crispier Romanesco.

Step 3: roast, baby, roast!

You know the drill. Your Romanesco is going into a pre-heated oven and roasting for 20-30 minutes until golden and crisp.

Step 4: make the panko topping

While the Romanesco is roasting, we're going to take a minute to make the panko topping. Do not skip this step!

Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the Panko, and toast, stirring frequently, until nicely browned.

Set it aside to cool, and then add the Parmesan and parsley, and mix to combine. 

Step 5: Garnish and serve

Transfer the roasted Romanesco to a serving plate and sprinkle with the panko, parmesan, and parsley mixture. Don't hold back! This stuff is gold.

👩🏻‍🍳 A note from Katie: Roasted vegetables, like me, are at their best when they've got adequate personal space. If you crowd them into the pan they'll steam and won't come out crunchy. I tend to use two sheet pans to give my veggies enough space, whenever I can.

Much like a dude jumping into a cold lake, roasted vegetables are prone to shrinkage. So while it looks like a ton of raw Romanesco, you'll end up with a reasonable amount once roasted.