Roasted broccolini is the perfect side for pretty much any dinner! All you need is four ingredients and 15 minutes to make this delicious and easy side dish.
Roasted Broccolini Recipe
Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has a more mild flavor, unlike the sometimes bitter flavor of broccoli. Roasted broccolini is super easy to make and is a wonderful "fancy" side dish for any meal.
While I love my recipe for roasted broccoli, sometimes I gravitate more to broccolini because I think it roasts even better than regular broccoli! The flavor seems to be even more bold and savory...maybe the thin stems soak up more flavor.
This is a staple is on my list of side dish recipes that I can quickly throw together. Oven-roasted broccolini is versatile and pairs well with so many main dishes.
Just the other day, I made it to serve with grilled lemon chicken thighs. It goes so good with pasta dishes like one pan chicken piccata over pasta.
You can "dress up" and "dress down" this dish! From dinner party to weeknight family dinner, crispy broccolini will be a crowd pleaser.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- This tasty little side dish won't make much of a mess and you'll be left with a simple and easy cleanup. Make a one pot main dish and you'll only be cleaning up for a few minutes after dinner.
- You can have this easy dish ready in just about 20 minutes!
- Broccolini has a more sweet and subtle flavor to it...so your picky eaters may just eat it right up!
Ingredients
Not every grocery store will sell broccolini, so be prepared to check a few stores if you're looking for it for the first time! This is what you'll need to make this tasty side dish:
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- fresh broccolini
Substitutions and Variations
Add some minced garlic or mashed whole garlic cloves onto the sheet pan to roast with broccolini. Sliced onion would also go great! Either of these options will add extra flavor to this dish.
Avocado oil is a good substitute for olive oil. You can also roast broccolini in melted butter if you prefer!
Nuts like sliced almonds and pine nuts would add a wonderful nutty flavor when roasted alongside this broccolini. For a tangy flavor, toss the broccolini with some lemon juice before roasting!
Sprinkle roasted broccolini in parmesan cheese, asiago cheese, or feta cheese before serving. You can also slice some cherry tomatoes to serve with this crispy side dish. Roasted tomatoes would pair well with it too!
How to Make Roasted Broccolini
Here's how to make this Roasted Broccolini recipe:
- Preheat your oven to 425° Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Toss the fresh broccolini with a generous amount of olive oil until each stalk is covered well.
- Spread the broccolini out into a single layer on the previously prepared rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and then place broccolini into the hot oven.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the long stalks are tender and the tips of the florets are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately!
How to Store Leftover Roasted Broccolini
Here's how to make this easy veggie recipe:
Place any leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months.
To reheat, allow to thaw if frozen and then baking on a sheet pan until warm and crispy.
What to Serve with Roasted Broccolini
As I mentioned earlier, you can serve this side dish alongside pretty much anything! But I'll list some of my favorite pairings here and you can grab something that sounds yummy and make it for dinner tonight. We gotta stick together for dinner ideas, am I right?
Throw something like grilled chicken drumsticks or grilled chicken burgers onto the grill and pop broccolini in the oven. Dinner will be ready in minutes!
Or serve it alongside something like creamy lemon chicken, shrimp risotto, or pan seared chicken thighs. If you need a complimentary side dish, then make some roasted potatoes to eat with your flavorful small florets of broccolini.
Make something entirely different, and use broccolini in this yummy Thai stir fry!
Tips for Success
Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:
- Don't overlap any of the broccolini on the sheet pan! If you need more surface area, grab another pan and make sure everything roasts in a single layer.
- Feel free to adapt this recipe in any way to better fit the flavor profile of your main dish or fit your personal preferences. Broccolini will take on different flavors very well.
- Make a single serving of this recipe in a toaster oven. Great if you're cooking for one!
FAQ
No, these two things are not the same. Broccolini has a slight sweetness to it, while broccoli rabe is actually quite bitter. It would not be a good substitute for a recipe that calls for broccolini.
Yes, all parts of broccolini are edible. While the leaves are edible, I recommend plucking them off and only cooking the tender stems and little florets.
More Side Dish Recipes
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Oven Roasted Green Beans
- Steamed Broccoli
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Roasted Broccolini
Roasted broccolini is an easy and flavorful side dish that takes just minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccolini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
- Place broccolini onto a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until broccolini is tender.
Sarah says
This roasted broccolini was so delish-even my 9 year old gobbled it up! Love the simple roasting method-it paired really well with the roast chicken and potatoes we made.
Jeneil says
I recently made this roasted broccolini for our dinner, and it tastes so delicious! It was also easy to make! I would love to recommend giving this a try!
Megan says
I loved that I only needed a handful of ingredients, with the broccolini...it definitely took center stage. I made this for lunch with some left over roasted chicken thighs and it was delicious.
Addison says
Such a delicious side dish! I loved the simple and tasty flavors of this broccolini!
Brenda says
I don't know why broccolini is so much fancier than broccoli, but it is right?! Your recipe was delicious.
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
The first time I ever tried broccolini was on pizza, strangely enough! And this prosciutto broccolini? SWOON!