Truth time—vegetables were an acquired taste for me. I’ve grown to love them and sauteing and roasting them are my top two favorite techniques to prepare vegetables. After spending a lot of time in Italy and devouring sauteed spinach with lemon wherever I could, I was inspired to quick saute vegetables in a hot skillet like this easy and quick sauteed broccolini.

p.s. there are some veggies to this day that I just can’t with (I’m speaking to you, beets).

p.p.s. Please don’t close this tab.

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What is broccolini?

Before we get into why you’ll love this easy sauteed broccolini, we probably should have the discussion of what is the difference between broccolini and broccoli. Many think that broccolini is baby broccoli. And that just isn’t the case.

Broccolini used to be and is sometimes called aspiration. Crazy, right?

I’m not sure why except after reading this, you’ll aspire to make it.

What broccolini isn’t

Contrary to what you might hear on the streets, broccolini isn’t broccoli rabe (which is actually rapini and is a green) nor is it baby broccoli. If you want the whole scoop, this Eater article about the difference between broccolini, broccoli rabe and more.

Just an FYI.

Why broccolini is better than broccoli:

• Cooks faster. Because broccolini has a thinner stem, it takes less time to cook.
• Better flavor. Broccolini is sweeter and not as “gassy” or strong flavored as regular broccoli making it have better flavor in my book.
• Delicate texture. First, unlike broccoli you can eat the entire stem from top to bottom. And florets are smaller but flatter giving more surface area to brown in the pan all which helps create better texture (and again…flavor!)

Ingredients you’ll need

Three ingredients. Just three. I love recipes with short ingredient lists (hint, hint…like these awesomely sweet oven roasted tomatoes).

• broccolini (as thin of stalks in a bunch as you can find, if possible)
• olive oil
• kosher or sea salt
• lemon (optional)
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Where to buy

You might be saying to yourself, “I have absolutely no idea where to buy broccolini.” And that’s ok! Because in addition to your local farmer’s market (which is a great source), it is pretty likely that your local grocer carries it.

In the Chicago area, I can find broccolini at all our major chains like Meijer, Fresh Thyme, Jewel-Osco and The Fresh Market.

How to Cut Broccolini (or trim)

Broccolini is really easy to trim. Here’s how you’ll do it:

• Using a sharp paring knife, cut off the bottom by about 1/4″ or so.
• Remove any leaves.
• Cut the small stalks from the thicker stalks.
• Thin any thick stalks (larger than 1/2″ or so) by cutting down the length of the stalk floret to stem.

How to Cook Broccolini in a Pan

Grab your favorite skillet that heats evenly like a stainless steel or cast iron skillet. My favorite is this All Clad 10″ Skillet.

Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add the trimmed and cleaned broccolini with tongs to the pan in one layer, gently toss and allow to brown for about 2 minutes on one side. Flip to the other side for another two minutes until you see char developing. Cover with a lid and allow the broccolini to steam for a bit before serving.

Hint: Run your exhaust fan to absorb any smoke, if applicable.

Serving Ideas

• Squeeze fresh lemon over the broccolini and a healthy sprinkling of sea salt.
• Sprinkle over some crushed red pepper or some fresh parmesan cheese for a big boost of flavor.