• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mediterranean Latin Love Affair
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Miscellaneous
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Mediterranean Food
  • Albanian Food
  • Latin Food
  • Bolivian Food
  • About
  • Follow Me:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Sauteed Broccolini with Almonds and Garlic

    Published: Apr 20, 2022 by Sonila · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    • 44
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you love healthy and quick to cook side dishes, you’ll love this sauteed broccolini with almonds and garlic! This side dish compliments roasted meats, grilled poultry or any main dish. I use it similarly to asparagus or broccoli. This side dish is also gluten free, low carb and Mediterranean Diet friendly.

    A cast iron skillet with sauteed broccolini. Skillet shows some almonds and a slice of lemon as well.
    Sauteed Broccolini with Almonds and Garlic

    What is the Difference between Broccoli & Broccolini?

    Broccolini looks like a mini broccoli, some people call it baby broccoli but it’s not a smaller version of broccoli. In fact it is a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. Its florets are a lot smaller than the broccoli. It tastes a little sweeter than broccoli too. In fact, the stems taste more like asparagus (to me) than broccoli.

    I read somewhere that you can eat it raw. I guess you can, but it’s not too appealing to me to eat it raw. I love it cooked, either roasted, sauteed or grilled.

    One bunch of raw broccolini on a cutting board.
    One Bunch of Broccolini

    Easy Recipe with Few Ingredients

    Who doesn’t love quick to put together dishes? If you’re meal prepping and cooking roasted chicken breast or a tray of meatballs on the weekends, then you can add a side of broccolini to one of your proteins and you have a quick dinner ready on weeknights.

    This recipe only uses olive oil (evoo), garlic, raw broccolini, lemon and shaved almonds plus salt and pepper. So none of these ingredients needs any time consuming prep.

    Ingredients for recipe: evoo, broccolini, garlic, lemon and shaved almonds.
    Ingredients

    Tips & Notes

    Here are some of my tips for getting delicious broccolini on your plate.

    • Cooking Method 1 – I boil broccolini for about 2 minutes, remove with slotted spoon and add to a shallow, wide bowl with ice water. Using the slotted spoon again, then I remove the broccolini within 15-20 seconds and add to a colander. Once drained, then I add to hot cast iron skillet. This step might seen complicated, but it’s very easy and takes few minutes. To me, it ensured high quality taste and texture each time!!
    • Cooking Method 2 – If you would like to skip the step above, then you add the broccolini straight to the hot skillet with olive oil and garlic. Sautee on both sides, add lemon juice and seasonings. Then finally, add few tbsps of water, lower temperature and cover skillet with a lid and let cook for few minutes. Remove and serve warm.
    • Seasonings – I keep this recipe simple, garlic, lemon juice, some lemon zest and salt/pepper. However, you can add seasoning to taste. Additional seasonings you can add are red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme etc. My preference on salt is on Mediterranean Sea Salt.
    • Almonds – use slivered or shaved or sliced almonds for added crunch. You can skip almonds if you’re allergic to nuts.

    How to Serve Broccolini?

    I serve broccolini with chicken, shrimp, fish, meatballs, rice and salads. First time I tried broccolini was in an Italian restourant and it was served as part of a risotto dish. I still haven’t tried cooking risotto with broccolini yet but it was delicious.

    We also grill broccolini when we are grilling on Sundays. It’s great as a side vegetable to any grilled foods.

    Lastly, if I grilled too much broccolini, I save the leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Then next day I roughly chop them and add them as an ingredient to the salad of the day. It works great with most veggies and greens.

    A cast iron skillet shown with sauteed broccolini, sprinkled in shaved almonds and garnished with a slice of almond.

    Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic and Almonds

    Sonila
    This sauteed broccolini recipe is the prefect side dish for any meal you are cooking. It cooks fast, it's delicious and obviously healthy. So add more greans to your diet:). To me broccolini tastes like a bit of asparagus and a bit of broccoli. This side dish tastes doesn't need lots of seasonings, keep it simple!!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Boiling time 5 mins
    Total Time 12 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Fusion
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 177 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Cast Iron Skillet

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 bunch broccolini about 8 ozs
    • 1 lemon
    • 3 garlic cloves add more if you like the taste
    • 2 tbsps shaved almonds
    • pinch Mediterranean sea salt
    • pinch black pepper freshly cracked pepper adds a nice touch
    • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

    Instructions
     

    • In a sauce pan boil water. Add broccolini in and let boil for 2 minutes.
    • Use a wide bowl with water and ice. Remove broccolini from sauce pan with a slotted spoon and add to ice water. Remove in about 20 seconds and let drain in a colander.
    • In the meantime, heat cast iron skillet in medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and minced garlic. Use a wooden spoon to sautee garlic until aromatic.
    • Add broccolini to cast iron skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for about 1-2 minutes then flip to the other side. Drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice (I estimate about 1 tbsp or so, I eyeball as I squeeze straight from the lemon). Add almonds and let cook for about 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm with any meal!! Enjoy:).

    Notes

    • Store leftovers in refrigerator for few days in an airtight container. 
    • 1 bunch broccolini is about 2 servings, so for a family of 4 I need 2 bunches. 
    • Skillet – I prefer using cast iron but any non-stick skillet will do. 
    • You can skip blanching broccolini but then you have to add few tbsps of water to skillet and cover with a lid for the steam to finish the cooking process. 

    Nutrition Label

    Nutrition Facts
    Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic and Almonds
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 177 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Monounsaturated Fat 8g
    Sodium 27mg1%
    Potassium 166mg5%
    Carbohydrates 15g5%
    Fiber 4g17%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 1512IU30%
    Vitamin C 108mg131%
    Calcium 109mg11%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 27mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1512IUVitamin C: 108mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword broccolini, sauteed broccolini
    Tried this recipe?Mention @mediterranean_latin_love or tag #mediterraneanlatinloveaffair!

    If you would like to save this recipe for later, please save the below image to your boards in Pinterest. Please let me know in comments if you have any questions or feel free to tag me in social media if you made this recipe. Thank you so much for reading my recipes!!

    An image prepared for Pinterest. It shows a picture of broccolini in a cast iron skillet with lemon and almonds. The picture has a title bar on top and a website link at the bottom.
    Cast Iron Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic, Almonds and Lemon

    Other Side Dishes

    Feel free to check some of my other side dishes:

    • Marinated Cherry Tomatoes
    • Air Fried Mini Sweet Peppers
    • Red Pepper Dip with Feta Cheese
    • Ajvar – Roasted Red Peppers and Eggplant Dip

    More Recipes

    • A family salad platter with lettuce and dill salad, shown garnished with fresh lemon slices.
      Lettuce, Dill and Feta Cheese Salad
    • A cast iron skillet over a table, showing a just cooked huge chuck steak.
      Cast Iron Chuck Steak
    • Four glass cups with chocolate pudding, topped with crushed pistachios and sliced strawberries.
      Chocolate Pudding topped with Pistachios and Strawberries
    • Braised beef cabbage on a pot, garnished with lemon and bay leaves.
      Braised Cabbage with Ground Beef
    • 44

    Filed Under: Recipes, Side Dish Tagged With: gluten free, low carb, Mediterranean Diet, vegan

    About Sonila

    Mom of 2, wife, engineer, food blogger & recipe creator! Sonila was born in Albania, her heritage inspires her Mediterranean recipes while that of her husband the Latin ones. Sonila has 2 degrees in Engineering from University of Miami.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lizzie

      March 24, 2023 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      Broccolinis are not easy to find where I live, but I always cook them using your recipe when I can find them:)). Such s delicious & easy side dish! Love that it’s effortless but tastes gourmet! Thank you:).

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Sonila Zarate
    Sonila Zarate

    Mom of 2, wife, engineer, food blogger & recipe creator! Sonila was born in Albania, her heritage inspires her Mediterranean recipes while that of her husband the Latin ones. Sonila has 2 degrees in Engineering from University of Miami.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Chicken drumsticks and rice casserole
      Baked Chicken & Rice
    • Keto/Low Carb Creamy Spinach and Mushrooms Chicken
      Creamy Spinach and Mushrooms Chicken
    • Seared lamb chops in a cast iron
      Cast Iron Grilled Lamb Chops
    • A platter of potato salad, decorated with dill over a bed of green lettuce
      Mediterranean Potato Salad

    Featured In

    As Seen In collage as of Fed 2021

    My Web Stories

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Contact

    Privacy & Disclaimer Policies

    CCPA

    Do Not Sell My Information

    Weekly Newsletter!

    Please Sign Up for our weekly Newsletter for recipes and more:)

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

    Copyright © 2022 MediterraneanLatinLoveAffair