Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli (Broccolini)

Have you tried Tenderstem Broccoli (broccolini)? It kind of looks like young broccoli but has a sweeter, nuttier taste and is absolutely delicious! It is a hybrid of regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli. Also try this Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli for another tasty side dish.

Tenderstem Broccoli is just what then name says, tender. It also has long, thin stalks with small florets. It cooks faster then regular broccoli which is good if you like easy speedy and delicious meals like I do. Who doesn’t!

In this recipe I roasted the Tenderstem Broccoli at quite a high heat, I like it crispy and still with a little bite to it. If you can’t get broccolini you can also substitute with regular broccoli that is cut in small florets and par boiled for a few minutes.

Another great vegetable side dish to try is this Grilled Zucchini with Feta Cheese or this Grilled Sweet Corn Salad.

Ingredients

• Tenderstem Broccoli (Broccolini) or normal broccoli cut into small small florets.
• Shallot, finely chopped
• Garlic, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Lemon
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (or vegan Parmesan)

See recipe card below for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat your oven.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the broccolini, shallot, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together and spread out to one layer. Make space for the lemon and place it cut side up. 

Bake the Tenderstem Broccoli, give it a stir and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake until the parmesan cheese just starts to brown at the edges. Be carful so it doesn’t burn!

Squeeze the lemon juice over the baked broccolini and serve immediately.

See recipe card below for full instructions.

Substitutions and variations:

• Tenderstem Broccoli (broccolini) – can be replaced with normal broccoli. Just cute the head of broccoli into small florets or bigger florets that you par boil for a few minutes before the baking.
• Parmesan cheese– I really love freshly grated parmesan or pecorino. But you can also omit the cheese all together or use a vegan parmesan cheese alternative) Another option is 4 tablespoon of breadcrumbs mixed with a little olive oil for a crunchy topping.
• Lemon– if you don’t like the added liquid of the lemon juice, some freshly grated lemon zest can be added after the Tenderstem Broccoli is roasted.
• Spicy – If you like it spicy, add a little chilli or cayenne pepper to give this recipe a little kick!

Storage

Cool down any leftover broccoli fast and then place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag and then store them in the fridge.

They will keep for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge. The broccoli can also be frozen for about 4 months.

Reheating

In the oven:

The best way for reheating this recipe! Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and place the potatoes on a baking tray in an even layer. Bake for just a few minutes until hot, Stirring ones so all the sides gets crispy. be careful not to burn the broccoli when reheating.

In the air fryer:

If you have an air fryer at home it’s a really easy way to reheat these greek potatoes. Preheat your air fryer to 180ºC (350ºF). Place the tenderstem broccoli in the fryer basket and reheat for about 2-3 minutes. Shake the basket once or twice while they heat. 

In the microwave:

This is the easiest way for reheating. But the results is not as crispy as the two options above. Place the broccoli on a microwave-safe plate in one layer. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals until steaming hot. Be careful not to overheat the tender steam broccoli, they can become hard. 30 seconds or less, is usually enough for one portion.