Roasting whole broccoli gives it centerpiece status, especially when served with muhammara, a Middle Eastern red pepper and walnut spread. This recipe roasts all the ingredients on the same baking sheet and purees everything except the broccoli to make the dip. Pomegranate molasses adds a traditional sweet-sour touch. Serve with flatbread or couscous.
Where to buy: Do you have Aleppo-style chili flakes? >> Use urfa, marash, crushed red pepper flakes, or a combination of mostly sweet paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
material
Quantity: Four–6
- 1 large head of broccoli or 2 small heads of broccoli (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)
- 3 red bell peppers (1 1/2 pounds total), cored and cut into 2-inch chunks.
- 2 plum tomatoes (8 ounces total), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup (3 1/2 oz) raw unsalted walnuts, additional chopped walnuts for garnish
- 6 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 1/4 teaspoons of high quality salt, divided and more to taste
- 1 cup (2 ounces) lightly stuffed bread cubes (2 to 3 small slices)
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, more if needed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo chili flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
direction
Active: 20 minutes
|Total: 4 minutes
step 1
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees.
Step 2
Cut off the bottom of the broccoli stalk and use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough part of the stalk without removing any of the florets. Place on a large sheet pan. (It doesn’t need to be held upright like cauliflower.) Scatter the peppers, tomatoes, walnuts, and garlic around the broccoli. Pour everything with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Step 3
Roast all ingredients except the broccoli for 5 minutes, stirring and tossing once or twice, then add the bread and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture is deep brown in spots and the broccoli is crisp-tender. Continue roasting until cooked through. Transfer the broccoli to a plate and let the remaining ingredients cool slightly.
Step 4
Peel the garlic, discard the skin, and add the cloves to the food processor along with the remaining mixture that was left on the sheet pan. Add the molasses, lemon juice, chili flakes, and cumin and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the texture is mostly smooth but slightly lumpy. Taste and season with additional salt, pomegranate molasses, or lemon juice as needed.
Step 5
To serve, spread the muhammara on a large plate and top with the roasted broccoli. Scatter with chopped walnuts and drizzle with olive oil and pomegranate molasses.