Sautéed Garlic Butter Broccoletti

Sautéed Garlic Butter Broccoletti is a bright and delicious side dish that will be on the table in ten minutes. Healthy and simple, you should definitely add this yummy vegetable to your repertoire.

this recipe

Easy vegetable side dishes are my favorite. I serve vegetables with every meal, and the preparation has to be simple. Often, I fall into a pattern of roasted brussels sprouts, asparagus and green beans, on repeat. Well, this week, when I saw a little package labeled “broccoletti” on my grocery store shelf, I thought I would venture just a little bit outside my usual. I’m so glad I did!

Broccoletti (or broccolini) is a lovely little vegetable that cooks up super quickly. Sautéed with some butter, garlic and lemon, it is bright, flavorful, and goes with just about everything. Best of all, it’s a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables and packs a punch of vitamins and minerals. We served this on pasta night (with my kids’ favorite meatballs), and the first thing that got requested for seconds was the broccoletti! That’s a serious win for vegetables everywhere.

You Will Love This

• This easy sautéed broccoletti is delicious – bright, flavorful, and tender-crisp.
• Broccoletti is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. Broccoletti is a great way to get a little extra Vitamin C in your diet this fall.
• This dish goes from fridge to table in about 10 minutes. That’s less than the amount of time it takes my kids to get to the table when I call them for dinner!

What is broccoletti?

Broccoletti is a hybrid vegetable that is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It goes by many names, including broccoletti, broccolini, tenderstem broccoli, baby broccoli or young broccoli. Broccoletti is tender and delicious. It is best cooked, and you eat the entire plant, including the stem and the occasional yellow flower that you might find brightening up your broccoletti. Broccoletti looks very similar to broccoli rabe – both have longer tender stems and looser florets than broccoli – but it tastes a lot different. Broccoletti is mild and sweeter than broccoli. Broccoli rabe is much more bitter (it is actually related to the turnip!).

Ingredients

Gather up your ingredients. For this simple side dish, you will need (exact measurements are in the recipe card below):

• Unsalted butter: You could also use olive oil to make this dish vegan.
• Garlic cloves
• Broccoletti
• Kosher salt
• Water
• Lemon: You can use just lemon juice, or add some lemon zest for a little extra punch of lemon flavor.

Make it your own!

This recipe is a blank slate – you can really customize it any way you like. Here are a few ideas:

• Add some red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.
• Substitute the salt for soy sauce, and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
• Drizzle some caesar dressing over top of the cooked broccolini.

Instructions

Step One: With a sharp knife, trim the tough ends off the broccoletti.

Step Two: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the broccoletti, and sautée for 3-4 minutes, until all the butter has absorbed into the broccoletti. Add the minced garlic and salt, and sautée for about one more minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

Step Three: Add the water to the pan, and continue cooking for about a few more minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and the broccoletti is bright green. Remove from heat. Season the broccoletti with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and serve.