Roasted Broccoli with Lemony Tahini, Bacon Breadcrumbs and Medjool Dates

Serves 4

This recipe is a great wintery side dish: it’s easy enough for a weeknight, but also worthy of a spot on the holiday table or your next dinner party. Crunchy, roasted broccoli is the perfect vehicle for almost anything and here the earthy vegetable is a nice contrast to the fragrant lemon zest, nutty tahini, smoky bacon, and sweet dates. To get perfectly browned and crisp-tender broccoli, preheat your baking sheet in the oven and give your broccoli lots of space so it doesn’t steam while cooking. If you choose to double this recipe for a larger crowd, spread everything out on two baking sheets.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds broccoli (2 compact medium heads)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon (about 3 ounces)
• ¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs (see Note)
• ¼ cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, plus more for garnish, plus 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 4 Rancho Meladuco medjool dates, pitted and sliced into coins (see Note)

Preheat the oven to 475°. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and allow to heat for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the broccoli lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slabs, reserving any florets that fall off.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Carefully arrange in a single layer, cut side down, on the hot baking sheet. The broccoli should sizzle. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway, until browned in spots and crisp-tender.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; finely chop.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the breadcrumbs to the skillet with the bacon and cook over moderately-low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon and remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, whisk the tahini with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic. Gradually add warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until the tahini is a thin pourable sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the broccoli on a large plate or platter. Drizzle with the lemony tahini and then generously scatter the bacon breadcrumbs and date coins over the top. Garnish with more fresh lemon zest and a couple grinds of black pepper. Enjoy!

NOTE To make fresh breadcrumbs, take any stale or day-old bread and pulse it in a food processor until finely chopped. You can also do this by hand with a knife. I like to keep a bag of these in my freezer and pull out the amount I need as I’m cooking—the breadcrumbs defrost quickly. You can use store-bought breadcrumbs here, but you will not get the same crunchy texture.

To cut your dates into coins, remove the pit from the top of the date with pliers or strong tweezers. Check out the Rancho Meladuco Instagram page for a quick video tutorial on how to do this.

Recipe & Photos: Julia Heffelfinger @juliaheff

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