Charred Broccolini with Chili and Garlic

This Charred Broccolini with Chili and Garlic recipe is a one-pan side dish with big, bold flavors and a crisp tender texture. It's the ideal side dish to roast chicken, grilled steak, pasta or seared tofu.

Broccolini doesn't get the attention it deserves, in my humble opinion. It's the long, skinny cousin of broccoli with a more gentle flavor. It's delicious steamed or boiled, like broccoli, but we like it best when it's toasted, charred or roasted.

There are many ways to char broccolini, including on the grill, in a hot oven and under the broiler. Roasted broccolini is equally as simple, though turning on the oven tends to heat up the kitchen. Instead, I like it best simply seared in a large hot skillet. It cooks fast, just 2-3 minutes per side, and will happily soak up a bold garlicky sauce.

Keep this side dish around for the holidays, too, as it's interesting and easy to execute for a special occasion dinner. But, it's also right at home for a busy weeknight along with other interesting vegetable side dishes like my Roasted Miso Cauliflower, Sautéed Spiced Carrots with Pistachios or Sweet Chili Roasted Cauliflower and Almonds.

Jump to:

• Ingredients that Matter
• Instructions
• All about Broccolini
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• More Sides
• Dinner Ideas
• Recipe

Ingredients that Matter

You will need a couple bunches of broccolini to make this recipe, along with some simple ingredients. Here's what you'll need.

• Broccolini. Similar to broccoli in texture and flavor, broccolini has long and thin stems and small florets. It has a more delicate flavor, that's somewhere between broccoli and asparagus. Here in the United States you'll likely find it sold in bunches, about 6 ounces each. For this recipe use two bunches so you have enough to serve four to five people.
• Garlic. Broccolini and garlic pair very well together. We use three garlic cloves, but feel free to adjust based on how much you like (and tolerate) garlic.
• Chili Pepper. Like garlic, broccolini goes really well with some heat, and for this recipe we use a long red chili pepper. Remove the seeds if you want to tame the heat; I like it simply thinly sliced with the seeds.
• Olive Oil. Since the recipe calls for searing the broccolini on high heat (to start), we need an oil that can withstand that heat. Regular olive oil (not extra-virgin) will work well. Use it both to sear the broccolini and to build the simple sauce.
• Basil. Finishing the dish with some torn basil leaves provides a fresh, herbaceous flavor.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This recipe uses a couple simple techniques. First, sear the broccolini in a couple batches (more if your skillet is small), then remove the pan from the heat and add more oil, garlic, chili pepper and salt and cook just until softened. Here's how the recipe comes together.

To serve, top the broccolini with the softened garlic and chili peppers and add torn basil leaves. I suggest serving from the skillet to keep the broccolini hot, but you can also transfer to a serving platter or bowl.

All about Broccolini

Broccolini is a brassica vegetable that's a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli (gai lan). Its flavor is milder than broccoli and has nutty, asparagus notes. It has long, thin stems and small florets. It's loved by many chefs and home cooks for its delicate flavor, tender stems and lovely presentation.

As a brassica, broccolini is quite good for for you! It's high in vitamins and minerals plus has flavonoids, which may inhibit cancer growth. Though it should be noted research suggest that cooking broccolini reduces phenolic acid. In particular, boiling broccolini, and other brassicas, may greatly reduce those cancer reducing flavonoids (roasting, on the other hand, may not reduce them as much).

Variations

This recipe is easy to adjust based on your preferences. Here are some suggested variations:

• More Heat - Simply adding another hot pepper, or leaving the seeds in, will make the dish spicier! One suggestion: taste your pepper before adding to the dish as not all hot peppers are actually spicy! Try nibbling a bit of the pepper and adjust how much of it you add based on its spice level. You can also add in red pepper flakes for an extra kick of heat.
• Lemon - Finish the dish a with a squeeze of lemon if you want a brighter side dish. Note that lemon juice will, over time, discolor the vibrant green color in broccolini, so add it just before serving.
• Anchovies - Add a few anchovies to the pepper and garlic for a big, salty flavor. Let the heat from the skillet melt the anchovies into the oil with the garlic and peppers. This makes for big, delicious flavor!
• Garlic and Lemon - If you want a more traditional flavor, simply make a mash of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and minced garlic. Rub this mixture on the broccolini and finish with a drizzle of more olive oil and a splash of lemon juice.
• Capers and Almonds - Another delicious flavor variation is tossing the broccolini with capers, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Finish with parmesan cheese, parsley or basil, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and toasted almonds.

Equipment

This recipe works best in a large cast iron skillet. I love a good cast iron skillet, and I think you can't go wrong with Lodge. This American company has been around for a long time and makes solid quality cast iron. I use this Lodge 15 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet just about every day!

I recently added this thinner, lighter-weight cast iron skillet to my kitchen: 12-Inch Cast Iron Blacklock Skillet. It's quickly become one of my favorite cooking vessels!

Storage

You can store leftover charred broccolini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Eat it cold out of the fridge, or reheat in the microwave or a skillet.

You can also prep the dish by trimming the broccolini a day ahead of time and adding the sliced garlic and chili peppers to oil (and storing covered in the fridge) for a day, as well.

FAQ

More Sides

Looking for other sides like this? Try these:

Dinner Ideas

Looking for some dinner ideas to serve with this charred broccolini? try these:

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