How to cook Romanesco? What is Romanesco?
The amazing looking Romanesco looks like a fusion of Cauliflower and Broccoli. Interestingly the spirals on a Romanesco give the form of a natural fractal and actually follow the Fibonacci Sequence and is actually a fractal. This is one of the unique distinguishing features of how the Romanesco looks. So apart from being mathematically incredible, it is also delicious. But how do you cook a Romanesco. See below for 3 recipes on how to try it.
Don’t know where to buy Romanesco? We speciliase in bespoke Fruit & Veg Boxes delivered throughout London and you can choose your preferences on each and every box. Why not try one of our Fruit & Veg Boxes here.
Spelt with Romanesco
- 4 Servings
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 300g spelt, rinsed
- 700g Romanesco broccoli, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- A pinch of cumin
Instructions
- Cook spelt as indicated on the package instructions.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and add chopped onion. Cook until lightly golden brown.
- Add carrot and broccoli.
- Blend with wine and cook until it evaporates.
- Reduce the heat and cook covered for an additional 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Drain spelt and add it to the pot with Romanesco broccoli.
- Season with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
- Serve and enjoy.
Additional tips
- You can use barley or buckwheat instead of spelt.
- Carrots can be replaced with parsnip.
- You can add fresh cream and grated cheese, especially for children.
Romanesco with Bacon
- 4 Servings
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 25 minutes
- Ingredients
- 500g Romanesco broccoli florets
- 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 140g bacon, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 40 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 100 g dry mozzarella
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Instructions
- Place Romanesco broccoli florets in a pot and cover with water. Season with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a baking dish with extra virgin olive oil.
- Brown the bacon with the minced garlic clove in a non-stick skillet.
- Add broccoli florets in the skillet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
- Transfer the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with dry mozzarella and grated Parmigiano.
- Bake until the cheese has melted and formed a crunchy crust.
- Serve and enjoy.
Additional tips
- Instead of dry mozzarella, you can use Gouda or Edam cheese.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and chopped nuts.
- Make parsley and garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil.
- Serve as a side dish or filling for quiche.
Romanesco Meatballs
- 4 Servings
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 500g Romanesco broccoli, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 50g breadcrumbs + 40 g for coating
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- A pinch of cumin
- A pinch of nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 30g Pramigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place Romanesco broccoli in a pot and cover it with water. Season with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain well.
- Transfer them into a mixing bowl and mash them with a potato masher or a fork.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon to combine and obtain a homogeneous mixture.
- Form walnut-size balls and coat them with breadcrumbs.
- Arrange the balls onto the baking sheet.
- Spray them with extra virgin olive oil and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Serve and enjoy.
Additional tips
- It is best if you can steam broccoli. Whenever you can use a steamer for vegetables, use it, as steamed vegetables are much more nutrient-packed than those cooked in water.
- Add more breadcrumbs to the mixture if needed.
- You can also fry them in vegetable oil.
