This sauteed broccolini is tender fresh vegetables cooked with butter, garlic and herbs. A quick, easy and elegant side dish that always gets rave reviews and is great when paired with chicken, steak or seafood.
When I need a fast veggie dish to go alongside our meals, I turn to favorites such as roasted crispy brussels sprouts, simple air fryer asparagus or this delicious sauteed broccolini.
I buy broccolini at the store almost every week. It’s more tender than standard broccoli, which makes it especially kid friendly, and the thin stalks make for a quick cooking time. This sauteed broccolini is a simple, yet totally satisfying way to enjoy this green vegetable.
Try this side dish recipe with a fantastic main dish like Cajun turkey, chicken saltimbocca or instant pot pot roast.
Table of Contents
Sauteed Broccolini Ingredients
This recipe calls for broccolini, butter, garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and chopped parsley.
How Do You Make Sauteed Broccolini?
To sauté broccolini first melt some butter in a large pan, then add the broccolini. Sauté it for 4-5 minutes or until tender. You can add a little bit of water to the pan if needed to soften the broccolini. Stir in some garlic, seasonings and herbs, then cook for a few more minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- All you need to do to prep your broccolini for cooking is to cut a thin slice off the bottom of the stem. If you have pieces with thicker stems, you can slice the whole pieces of broccolini in half lengthwise so that they will cook at the same rate as the smaller pieces.
- You can easily convert this to a vegan recipe by using olive oil instead of butter.
- I use dried Italian seasoning in this recipe because it contains a variety of different herbs all in one jar. If you don’t have this seasoning on hand, you can make your own Italian seasoning.
- Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Quick Tip
Be sure to add the garlic at the very end, otherwise it could burn.
Recipe FAQs
Broccolini is a cross between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli. The end result is what looks like baby broccoli stems, with a milder flavor and more delicate texture. Standard broccoli has a thick stem and larger florets. You can use broccolini in place of broccoli in most dishes.
Every part of the broccolini stems are edible, even the flowers! I often trim off the tough ends, but other than that you can enjoy every bit of this nutritious veggie.
You can eat broccolini raw or cooked. Which way is better is a matter of personal preference. I like cooked broccolini because I like the vegetable more tender and infused with delicious butter and garlic flavors.
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Sauteed Broccolini Flavor Variations
This dish is a great way to get your greens in, but you can add other flavors to make your own creation.
- Olives: Add 1/3 cup sliced kalamata or green olives during the last few minutes of the cooking time.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Stir in 1/3 cup chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes.
- Mushrooms: Saute 8 ounces of sliced button or cremini mushrooms, then add the broccolini and cook according to the recipe.
- Shallots: You can use 1/4 cup minced shallots or even red onion instead of the garlic.
- Nuts: Add 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, chopped walnuts or sliced almonds right before serving.
- Cheese: Sprinkle crumbled feta or shaved parmesan cheese over the finished dish.
- Spicy: Try a pinch of red pepper flakes to bring the heat.
Once you try this recipe, you’ll find yourself putting it on the menu almost every week – it’s just that good!
More Great Sides To Savor
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Tzimmes Recipe
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Grilled Vegetables
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Love This Recipe?
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Sauteed Broccolini
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb broccolini trimmed
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Add the broccolini and cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender and bright green,
- Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Sprinkle with parsley, then serve immediately.
Notes
- If some of the broccolini pieces are thicker than others, you can cut the thick ones lengthwise so that everything cooks at the same rate.
- You can easily convert this to a vegan recipe by using olive oil instead of butter.
- Be sure to add the garlic at the very end, otherwise it could burn.
This was such a quick and easy side dish that paired perfectly with dinner! A great way to get picky eaters to eat their veggies to boot; my whole family loved it!
Perfectly scrumptious!!! Will use this method for fresh green beans next, can’t wait…
Great recipe – delicious, healthy and everyone loves it!
This broccolini was so good. My husband is not a big fan of broccoli, or any vegetable, but he did enjoy this broccolini. Thanks so much for the recipe.
My kids are not big on cooked broccoli, but they couldn’t get enough of this broccolini! I think the more tender texture made a big difference for the kids, and the grown ups loved the flavor. So delicious!
This is the best broccolini recipe I’ve ever tried! I’ve made it twice already!
Such a delicious and simple side dish. I love pan searing vegetables to retain their crunchiness, and this recipe is one to make over and over again.
Broccolini is such a nice break from broccoli, and the simpler, the better. We all loved this!
This was so simple and easy to make and the broccolini was perfectly cooked! It tasted great with our chicken dinner!
These sauteed broccolini makes the perfect side dish with my baked chicken. It is easy to make. My kids love them and glad they are able to eat their veggies.