Roasted Broccolini

August 5, 2010 in sides

I am very particular about my veggies – I like my carrots raw, my broccoli roasted, and my spinach blended with banana and milk (and that’s a post for another day). Those are really the only veggies that enter the house on a regular basis but I couldn’t pass up a beautiful bunch of broccolini last time I went to the store.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the broccolini, I just assumed it would be just like broccoli but with longer stalks. It was a totally different experience though. The stalks are almost sweet and had so much more flavor than broccoli stalks. But the ends, the ends were what got me. If you’ve tried that kale chip recipe that was all the rage in the blog world awhile back, that’s what the ends tasted like. They are so thin and delicate that they crisped up in the oven more than broccoli would and I swear you could have told me it was kale and I would have believed you. After I tried one, I crossed my fingers that my 3 year old wouldn’t like it so I could have the entire batch but wouldn’t you know that he loved them? He kept sneaking bites as I was finishing up dinner!

Roasted Broccolini

1 bunch broccolini, stalks trimmed of tough ends
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place broccolini in an oven safe dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to make sure each piece is coated.

Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until stalks are tender.