Romanesco Recipe (Quick & Easy!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

FAQs

Romanesco Recipe (Quick & Easy!) - Wholesome Yum? ›

Cut the romanesco into bite-sized florets. In a large bowl, toss the florets with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread the florets onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender and browned on the edges.

Romanesco Nutrition Facts

It's also a good source of folate and vitamin A, providing 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of each. (Nutritionally, it's pretty similar to broccoli: One-half cup of chopped broccoli provides 15 calories, 3 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram protein, and is fat-free.)

Romanesco has flowers that form perfect geometric spiral patterns that repeat called fractals. When you look closely, each spiral bud is composed of a series of smaller buds, all arranged in yet another spiral that continues at smaller levels. The number of spirals on the head of Romanesco is called a Fibonacci number.

Choose dense heads without any discoloration. Harvested heads can be stored in plastic in the refrigerator for about a week.

Each Romanesco floret is considered an approximate fractal, as it has a termination point in the center of the spiral, and the number of spiraling florets on the head of Romanesco will always be a Fibonacci number. Other plants exhibiting Fibonacci sequences include pinecones, pineapples, sunflowers, and shells.

Like broccoli, Romanesco can be eaten raw, but also holds up well under various cooking methods like stir frying or roasting in an oven. As the florets heat up, they can become surprisingly sweet, making Romanesco a perfect addition to curries and other spicy dishes.

What are the health benefits of romanesco? Like other members of the brassica family, romanesco is high in vitamin K, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and carotenoids, supporting your body's tissue repair, blood clotting, system regularity, and more.

Romanesco goes by various names, including Romanesco broccoli, fractal broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, though it's considered to be a hybrid between cauliflower and broccoli. And it's part of the Brassica genus (also known as cruciferous vegetables), just like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale.

Romanesco broccoli (also known as broccolo romanesco, romanesque cauliflower, or simply romanesco) is in fact a cultivar of the cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), not a broccoli (Brassica oleracea var.

Sun, heat and Romanesco don't mix. And when they do mix, they create purple! The purple color is caused by anthocyanin, a harmless, water-soluble pigment that is exacerbated by sun exposure. When the developing heads are exposed to sun and heat, they can turn purple.

What does Romanesco mean in English? ›

Romanesco is an Italian adjective meaning "pertinent to the medieval and modern Roman people". Romanesco may refer to: Romanesco dialect, an Italian dialect spoken in the city of Rome and its surroundings. Romanesco broccoli, a kind of cauliflower.

Preserve: Romanesco can be blanched and frozen for later use. You can also pickle or lacto-ferment small chunks of this wildly shaped vegetable for a crazy looking preserved food. Prepare: The delicate flavor of romanesco is best when eaten raw or lightly cooked. You can sauté, roast, steam, or boil it.

Romanesco didn't arrive in the U.S. until the beginning of the 20th century, but it is thought to have originated in the Lazio region of Italy as early as the 15th century. Rome, from which the plant gets its name, is the capital of Lazio.

While gaining in popularity, Romanesco broccoli plants and seeds can be hard to find in mass-market garden centers. However, once you find plants or start seeds, the vegetable is as easy to grow as any broccoli or cauliflower variety.

Because it looks like a hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower, most people expect Romanesco to taste like a combination of the two. Which it does to an extent, but it's a much milder flavour. It's got a subtle nutty or even earthy taste to it as well. Certain methods of cooking can bring out those flavours.

Spinach. Spinach contains many of the same health benefits as broccoli and kale. But it's also rich in phytochemicals. These cause the body to release hormones that make you feel full, which can be helpful for people who want to lose weight.

Rich in Nutrients

Just like its close relatives, Romanesco cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, potassium, folate, and manganese. These nutrients play crucial roles in immune function, blood clotting, bone health, and energy metabolism.

Kale has more of most vitamins and minerals per serving than broccoli, but more isn't always better. In reality, you can have too much of a good thing.

Romanesco also has a slightly nuttier, milder flavor and more tender texture when cooking, making it easier to overcook than cauliflower. The two can often be substituted for each other in recipes; just watch the cook times so that your romanesco doesn't turn into mush and lose its flavor.