This roasted broccolini recipe is impressive with little effort! The baby broccoli comes out tender and browned, seasoned with garlic and lemon.

Roasted Broccolini

Here’s a favorite easy side dish around here: roasted broccolini! Broccoli’s cooler and more sophisticated cousin is absolutely worth trying. Somehow it’s even more delicious than roasted broccoli (if that’s possible!), with a sweet flavor and tender crunch. Even better: its long, elegant stems makes it look fancier and it takes less time to cook. Here’s how to cook broccolini into a delicious and impressive side dish!

What is broccolini, exactly?

With its long, thin stems and small florets, broccolini might look like baby broccoli. In fact, it’s sometimes labeled that way in the grocery store. But it actually isn’t an immature version of standard broccoli!

  • Broccolini is a cross between standard broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has the long stems of Chinese broccoli and the florets of broccoli. Broccolini has a milder, sweeter flavor than standard broccoli.
  • Broccolini was invented in 1993. It might seem like an Italian ingredient with hundreds of years of history, but broccolini is the new kid on the block.
  • How to find it? Broccolini is becoming easier to find at standard grocery stores. It’s usually right next to the standard broccoli, so look for the small bunches of broccoli with long stems.
Broccolini

How to make roasted broccolini (basic steps)

Roasted broccolini is quick and easy, but it looks like a fancy side dish! It’s so irresistible that we ended up eating most of it right off of the roasting pan. Something about the sweet flavor makes it hard to stop eating. It doesn’t have that faint bitter aftertaste like broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Here’s how to make roasted broccolini:

  • Chop 2 inches off of the ends. The ends can be tough, so chop them off before cooking. Then mix with olive oil and salt, and lay the stalks in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  • Roast at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. This baby broccoli is very quick, compared to the 20 to 25 minutes roasting time for standard broccoli. Cooking it in a very hot oven makes it crispy and browned at the edges!
  • Spritz with lemon and add grated garlic. Our favorite way to flavor broccoli: just fresh lemon juice and a little grated garlic. It takes it from good to transcendental!
Roasted Broccolini

Ways to serve roasted broccolini

Roasted broccolini pairs with all sorts of main dishes! It’s especially perfect for entertaining, and makes any dinner party entrée seem that much fancier. Here are some ideas on how to serve it:

More ways to cook broccolini

There are of course other ways to cook broccolini: but none as delicious as roasting, in our minds! Here are the basic ways to cook it:

This roasted broccolini recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Roasted Broccolini

Simple Roasted Broccolini


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Description

This roasted broccolini recipe is impressive with little effort! The baby broccoli comes out tender and browned, with garlic and lemon.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 pounds or 3 bunches broccolini
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Chop off about 2 inches of the ends of the broccolini. In a medium bowl, mix it with with the olive oil and kosher salt.
  3. Place the broccolini on the pan in a single layer. Roast for about 15 minutes, until tender and slightly browned (no need to stir!).
  4. Remove the pan from the oven. Grate the garlic onto the pan, and squeeze on the lemon juice. Use a spoon to gently toss it all together (separating any grated garlic that clumps together). Serve immediately.
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Broccolini Recipe, Roasted Broccolini, How to Cook Broccolini, Baby Broccoli, Broccolini

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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