Broccolini
Broccolini is a seriously underrated vegetable and one of my personal favorite vegetables to order as a side dish at Italian restaurants. Apparently, it's a cross-breed between broccoli and gai lan, which explains its shape and texture. This is a simple sauteed broccolini with garlic and pepperoncini. Simple and delicious!
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 15 min
Ingredients
> broccolini
> garlic
> pepperoncini
> lemon juice
> salt, pepper, olive oil
Instructions
1. Trim ~1-2 inches off the ends of the broccolini (this part is tough/woody). If necessary, cut the broccolini lengthwise into pieces of manageable size (you don't want them too wide, otherwise they won't saute well)
2. Blanch the broccolini in heavily salted boiling water for ~1 minute. Remove and immediately cool in ice water, and drain.
3. Saute garlic in plenty of olive oil over high heat until just before the garlic begins to brown.
4. Add the pepperoncini (cut into small pieces) and broccolini. Saute for ~1 minute or so. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice as necessary.
5. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> Apparently, pepperoncini is the generic Italian name for hot chili peppers. I like to use pickled pepperoncini, which adds a nice sharp tart contrast. But this dish would probably work decently with other peppers (make sure to add into the pan earlier if raw), dried chili flakes, or crushed red pepper.
> This dish is especially delicious if you're able to get a bit of charring on the flower part of the broccolini. I wasn't able to achieve that here, maybe needed higher heat?