Broccolini, or "Broccoli Baby," is the new in-season darling in our house.
We've eaten it several times in the last week, straight off the platter with our fingers, like these little spears are crispy, salty, green French Fries. In my opinion, they are way tastier than French Fries!
What follows is my basic recipe for preparing it. It is really more of a method than a recipe since it is simply olive oil, salt, and the broccolini. The trick to this scrumptious side dish that even children will adore is in the oven temp, the rack position, and the cooking time.
The best part is that the whole thing takes 20 minutes, from cutting board to serving platter.
Roasted Broccolini; serves 2
1 bunch broccolini (resembles broccoli but with a long stem & small floret)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the racks in the top third of the oven.
Meanwhile, slice off the ends of the broccolini (just a quarter inch).
Spread the broccolini on a roasting pan, giving space between each stem. If you are doubling the recipe, spread among more than one roasting pan. If the broccolini are stacked, they will steam more than roast.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I tend to be generous.
Roast the broccolini for 15 - 18 minutes, checking toward the end for your own preference in crispiness. I like mine a little scorched. If using more than one roasting pan, switch their positions half way through to ensure even cooking.
Enjoy!
Sounds great, April! A good alternative to our usual steaming. We get plenty of broccolini in our CSA share once the season revs up.
Posted by: Robin | 04/08/2013 at 04:04 PM