An easy recipe for healthy sauteed broccolini. Saute until crisp, add water to the pan, cover and briefly steam, just until stems are tender-crisp.
Sauteed broccolini is one of my favorite vegetables to make and serve to my family. It’s tasty, healthy, and very easy to make.
What’s the difference between broccoli and broccolini?
Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has small florets and long, thin stalks. The entire vegetable is edible, so you don’t need to remove the leaves before cooking. It is sweeter and milder than broccoli, and it cooks faster.
When making broccoli, it’s best to cook the florets and the stems separately, because the stems are tough and need a longer time to cook. Here’s a good recipe for roasted broccoli stalks. It’s actually easier to saute broccolini, because you can cook the entire vegetable at once.
Should I blanch the broccolini before cooking?
Many recipes for sautéed broccolini will tell you to blanch the broccolini first (cook briefly in salted water, then quickly rinse in cold water or dip in ice water). But I like to sauté the broccolini until browned and crispy, then add a bit of water to the hot pan, cover and briefly steam, just until the stems are tender-crisp.
What to serve with sauteed broccolini?
Anything, really. It’s a great side dish to practically any meat or seafood. I often serve it with baked pork chops, with Parmesan chicken tenders, or with reverse-seared steak. You can also serve it alongside fried or poached eggs for a healthy meatless dinner.
What about leftovers?
I don’t like to keep leftover sauteed broccolini. It tends to become limp in the fridge and lose its wonderful crispiness. So I try to make just as much as we can eat.
But if you do have leftover sauteed broccolini, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I sometimes chop them up and add them cold to a salad the next day for my lunch, or mix them into an omelet the next morning.
Sautéed Broccolini
INGREDIENTS
- 2 bunches fresh broccolini
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a very large, 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and swirl to coat.
- Add the broccolini, the salt and pepper. Sauté 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until the broccolini has absorbed all the butter and parts of the broccolini are beginning to brown.
- Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the skillet. Cover and steam for about 2 minutes, until the stems are tender-crisp. Serve immediately.
