This simple broccolini with gremolata brightens both your plate and your palate. It’s elegant enough for a holiday side yet easy enough for weeknight dinner—try it topped with a poached egg or white beans for a complete meal.
Why we love this recipe
With just a handful of ingredients and very little hands-on time, this dish delivers bold, fresh flavor. Gremolata is an Italian garnish of parsley, lemon zest, and garlic—more of a bright, savory sprinkle than a sauce.
Our broccolini with gremolata is:
- Vibrant and full of flavor
- Quick and easy for weeknights
- Special enough for holiday meals
- Mostly vegan and nutrient-dense
What you’ll need
Everything you need for this recipe is simple and easy to find.
- Broccolini — a broccoli and Chinese broccoli hybrid with long stems and small florets; it cooks quickly and stays tender-crisp.
- Parsley — flat-leaf (Italian) parsley is ideal for gremolata, but curly parsley will work if that’s what you have.
- Olive oil — use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for finishing; its flavor will come through since it isn’t cooked into the dish.
How to make it
These steps are straightforward. The full recipe card below includes exact measurements and timing.
- Cook the broccolini until it is tender yet still crisp. For the brightest color, plunge it into ice water briefly after cooking to stop the cooking.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Grate lemon zest and garlic with a microplane directly onto the parsley, then mix to make the gremolata.
- Spoon the gremolata over the broccolini, drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, and serve.
Expert tips and FAQs
Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, with long stems that cook quickly and tender florets. Its mild flavor makes it very versatile in the kitchen.
Gremolata is a raw Italian condiment of finely chopped parsley, grated lemon zest, and garlic. It’s used as a fresh, bright finishing garnish rather than a saucy dressing.
Yes. The dish is excellent warm or at room temperature, so you can prepare it earlier in the day and serve later.
Gremolata is best the day it’s made but can be stored tightly sealed in the refrigerator for a day. Use it on fish, chicken, lamb, steak, eggs, beans, or roasted vegetables.
Chimichurri is oil-based and often includes vinegar and oregano, giving it a richer texture and tang. Gremolata is drier, lemon-forward, and uncooked, with a bright, herbaceous flavor.
How to serve it
This broccolini makes a vibrant side or a light main. To turn it into a heartier meal, add:
- Canned white beans
- A poached or fried egg
- Leftover roasted chicken or steak
More great recipes
- If you have broccolini, try a broccolini-cheddar-bacon frittata or a grain bowl with halloumi.
- Other festive vegetable sides to consider include green beans, sautéed mushrooms, roasted Brussels sprouts, braised kale, or roasted cauliflower.
Easy Broccolini Recipe with Gremolata
Equipment
- Microplane or fine grater (for garlic and lemon zest)
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccolini, ends trimmed
- 1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
- 2 lemons
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a braiser or a 12-inch lidded pan, bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the broccolini and cook until tender but still crisp and bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain and, if desired, plunge into ice water to preserve color. Arrange broccolini on a serving platter.
- While the broccolini cooks, finely chop the parsley. Using a microplane, grate the garlic and the zest of both lemons directly onto the parsley. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and mix well to combine.
- Spoon the gremolata over the broccolini. Drizzle with olive oil and the juice from 1/2 a lemon, then finish with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Gremolata is flexible: swap herbs or citrus to suit your taste.
- Gremolata is best the day it’s made but can be refrigerated tightly sealed and used the next day.
- This dish is delicious hot or at room temperature, making it easy to prepare in advance.
- Leftover broccolini keeps tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline.