Lemon Garlic Broccolini
This easy lemon garlic broccolini dish is ready in minutes and is packed with fresh flavor. This vegetable side dish is perfect for any dinner!
Table of Contents
Broccolini recipe
If you love easy to make vegetable side dishes, check out Italian vegetables with gravy, mashed potatoes, or 5 minute oven roasted asparagus.
Who loves a good healthy vegetable side dish?! I love to add at least two vegetable sides to my dinner plate. It creates a wide variety of bioavailable nutrients that your body needs!
This broccolini recipe is about to be your new favorite vegetable side dish! It’s super easy to make, loaded with nutrients, and has a perfect, fresh flavor that goes with just about any dinner (but seriously SO good with this crispy chicken in white wine sauce or my favorite cheesy baked tortellini and chicken dish).
What is broccolini?
Broccolini is a cross bread between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, which is a leafy vegetable. It is not young broccoli, despite how it’s name appears. It has a more mellow and less bitter flavor than broccoli, with long stems that are tender. It’s the perfect vegetable side dish!
Lemon garlic broccolini ingredients
- Olive oil– Extra virgin olive oil is perfect for this recipe. I love using California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil for my recipes!
- Garlic– A couple of cloves of garlic will really bring out some majorly delicious flavor!
- Lemon– Lemon zest gives this dish a perfect balance of fresh flavor.
- Broccolini– You can find broccolini in most major grocery stores or health food stores in the produce section.
- Red pepper flakes– Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to flavor.
Chef’s tips
Make it your own
Don’t just stop there! You can add a few additional ingredients to make this dish your own. Here are a few true and tried options!
- Tahini
- Parmesan cheese
- Feta cheese
- Crumbly goat cheese
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh basil
- Fresh oregano
- Fresh thyme
- Finishing salt
Revive wilted broccolini
Sometimes, we forget about the veggies in the fridge and they get kind of sad looking. No worries! Cut the ends off of the wilted broccolini and place them in a bowl of ice water. This will help firm the broccolini back up.
Cook it to your own tenderness
Broccolini is one of those vegetables that can be cooked to your own preferred doneness. It can be eaten raw, so whatever level of tenderness you like, you can cook it to!
This recipe will result in tender broccolini that still has a slight crunch. This is my favorite way to cook it because you get the best of both worlds- crunchy and tender!
How to make broccolini
- Prepare the broccolini. Give the broccolini a good rinse, then cut the bottom 1/2 inch off of the stems. Pat dry the broccolini.
- Sautè the broccolini. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then add the broccolini. Sautè the broccolini on each side for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and salt and allow it to sautè for another 2 minutes.
- Steam the broccolini. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, then cover and steam the broccolini for 1-2 minutes (2 minutes for more tender stems).
- Serve. Top the broccolini with your preferred toppings like parmesan cheese, tahini, red pepper flakes, or salt. Mangia!
How to store and reheat
In the fridge
Place the leftover broccolini in an airtight container in the fridge. Broccolini will stay good for up to 4 days.
To reheat
You can easily reheat the broccolini in the microwave just about 2 minutes, or place a medium pan over medium heat on the stove top and warm the broccolini up.
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Lemon Garlic Broccolini
Equipment
- Large pan with cover
- Cutting Board
- Sharp knife
- Grater
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccolini (2 bunches) bottom 1/2 inch of stems removed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic coursely chopped
- 1 lemon zested, cut into wedges for garnish
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water
Optional
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Sautè the broccolini. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil once the pan is hot, then place the broccolini in the pan in a single layer. Sautè the broccolini on each side for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and lemon zest and sautè for 2 more minutes.
- Steam the broccolini. Add the water to the pan, then cover and cook for 1-2 minutes (2 minutes for more tender stems). Remove the pan from the stove.
- Serve. Plate the broccolini and top it with your preferred additional ingredients like more pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, or salt. Mangia!
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates, for exact values consult a nutritionist.
