Even veggie haters love these crunchy, flavorful brussels sprouts!
When I was 19, I spent some time “living” in Europe.
I was young, working a crappy job, dating an even crappier dude, and figured ditching town was my chance to shake off some stagnant strings and explore the world! So like any sane minded young lady would do (hah!), I packed my bags, gave the dud I was dating 2 days notice, and boarded a plane to Florence.
Who would have thought I’d have to travel all the way to Italy to finally try brussels sprouts?
After a long day of sight seeing and an even longer night of too much red wine and sambuca, a few of my new Italian friends treated me to a traditional home cooked meal. All the food was to-die-for! Including these lemon and garlic Italian style sprouts I ate, and then insisted on learning how to make that very night!
Wanna know what makes these sprouts so phenomenal? Lemon, garlic, salt, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and balsamic vinegar.
↑ Proof that sometimes simple recipes are the best recipes!

Sicilian Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, separated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Cut off the ends of the brussels sprouts and slice them in half, vertically. Toss them in a large bowl with the olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour them out onto the prepared baking sheet and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly brown and crispy on the outside. Shake the pan every 10 minutes or so to ensure they brown evenly. Once removed from the oven, transfer sprouts to a large serving bowl, stir in balsamic vinegar and cheese, mixing well to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed (I typically add a little extra salt and lemon juice). Serve warm.
I would run away abroad in a HEARTBEAT if not for my student loan debt. Sigh. So jealous. These look delish, too.
The best decisions I have even made started with me getting on a plane. The first time I ever had real peas (as in, not from a can, but hand shucked from the pod) was in Italy and I’ll never forget them.
These are beautiful! I bet they taste amazing too.
I like your style! Anchovies are something I’ve been wanting to try, but they seem so intimidating, everyone has bad memories of them!
This is amazing Ashley! I love Brussels sprouts…these flavors are a perfect twist on the usual way I fix them!
You go girl! Love that you gave him 2 days notice 😛 I don’t know why people think brussell sprouts are bad. I don’t think those people cook them right. I personally love brussell sprouts any way they come!
Wohoo on 2 days notice 😉
I need to try adding anchovies in brussel sprouts. Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Woo-Hoo dump the dude and go for the roasted brussels sprouts-works for me;-)
This recipe looks just delicious, love brussels sprouts!!!
Roasted brussels sprouts are one of the best things I’ve discovered in my adult life! My mom used to steam them when we were growing up – ugh.
Taking off to Florence sounds like a fun adventure, I’m sure it was a memorable experience!
yum yum yum!! Anchovies are amazing and I get SO MAD if I share with a pizza with someone and they refuse to let me get anchovies even on MY HALF (it has happened a few times). On brussels they’d totally be amazing and I trust Italians about everything foodie anyways… xx
Ok, it’s official: we need a girls day full of shopping and pizza with anchovies!
I’m almost rethinking the pancetta now…these look amazing!!
Oh, these look outstanding! Your Brussels sprouts may just make it onto my Thanksgiving table!
I’ve been roasting lots of brussels sprouts this week, but I haven’t tried anything like this before – love this version.
I see that these are called Lemon and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and that you mention garlic a few times, but it’s not listed in the ingredients or in the recipe. What gives?
Hi Christine. The garlic is listed after the lemon juice in both the ingredients and the instructions.
Tried these tonight…amazing. Highly recommend them..:)
I just made them. Even raw they tasted good. Exactly what i was looking for. An awesome twice from the regular roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon. The only thing I changed was that I used garlic chili sauce rather than crushed red peppers. Thank you for this recipe
Oooh, using garlic chili sauce is brilliant! I need to try that 😉
ASHLEY GREAT JOB! I MAKE THESE ALL THE TIME. I ADD MORE WHOLE GARLIC CLOVES BECAUSE I LOVE ROASTED GARLIC. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS FABULOUS. SIMPLE AND PERFECT, THANKS for your hard work in the kitchen.
I am working On a story & one of my characters is Italian -American with roots from Florence. I was hungry & I had fresh Brussels sprouts. I was looking for a new quick & easy recipe to shake it up a bit and found yours. I Fixed them & places them to bake first then read your blog. It was meant to be. An Italian story & recipe to inspire my writing creativity. Thanks! I want to jump on a plane to Florence too, but for now, I’ll enjoy my Sicilian Brussels Sprouts!