Roasted Broccolini with Lemon

This is an unusual way to prepare broccolini: a half lemon is cut, peel and all, and roasted with the vegetables. The other seasonings are minimal—just garlic, salt and pepper—for a surprisingly complex flavor from only six ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb. broccolini
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Trim and coarsely chop the broccolini. Remove the seeds from the lemon and then cut it, peel and all, into 1/4-inch dice.

In a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccolini, diced lemon, salt and a few grindings of pepper. Cook, stirring often, just until the color of the broccolini deepens, about 1 minute more.

Scrape the contents of the fry pan into a baking dish, add the remaining 1/2 Tbs. olive oil and turn to coat. Transfer to the oven and roast until the broccolini is tender-crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Good for You, by Dana Jacobi (Weldon Owen, 2013).