Most people are familiar with broccoli, and broccoli rabe, but broccolini is relatively new to US markets…per Wikipedia it only became available in the US in 1998 and it took some time after that for it to be widely available. This explains why my Mom never made if for me growing up and why she didn’t know what it was when I made it for her recently!
If it’s new to you too…it also goes by the names brocolette, sweet baby broccoli or brocoletti and is a cross between broccoli and gai lan (Chinese broccoli). Its more mild than broccoli, with smaller florets and thinner, longer, more tender stems. I love that there is less waste (because the stems are edible) and they cook really quickly!
One of my favorite ways to cook broccolini is to saute the spears in a hot cast iron skillet with ghee, lemon, lemon zest and red pepper flakes…I call it Lemony Broccolini! It’s a quick and easy side dish, and the combination of the citrus and heat pairs well with almost any protein.
Here’s what I do…I cut off the ends of the stems and remove any damaged exterior leaves. I then wash the spears and pat them dry. Next I get my cast iron skillet medium/hot and add some ghee. I then add the broccolini and let the spears sear in the pan for a few minutes. I then turn the spears over (they will turn bright green as they cook) and squeeze the juice from 1/2 a lemon over the spears, sprinkle them with 1/2 Tbs of lemon zest, salt/pepper and red pepper flakes. They should be done after a few more minutes in the pan. If you like your veggies more than al dente (firm to the tooth) you can let them cook longer. Enjoy!
- 1-2 bunches of broccolini, ends trimmed, washed
- ½ Tbs ghee
- ½ Tbs of lemon zest (be sure to zest the lemon before cutting it)
- Juice from ½ a lemon
- Salt/pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
- Lemon wedges to garnish the serving platter
- Get a cast iron skillet medium/hot
- Add the ghee to the skillet
- Add the broccolini to the skillet and allows them to sear for a few minutes.
- Turn the spears and cover with the lemon juice, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Allow to cook for a few more minutes until desired doneness.