Roasted Broccolini with Sun Dried Tomato Gremolata
on Mar 21, 2025
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Making a gremolata with toasted walnuts and sun dried tomatoes is a great way to dress up this roasted broccolini recipe. It is an easy side dish that’s ready in less than 20 minutes. You can serve it with vegetarian pastas and any main dish with Mediterranean ingredients. This green vegetable side is also worthy of a big holiday meal like Thanksgiving or Easter.
If you are looking for a stovetop side, try this sautéed broccolini with lemon and almonds.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s a go-with-(almost)-anything kind of side dish. As a vegetable fan, I love using sides to get more color into a meal. Green vegetables are a win-win—wholesome and easy to prep and cook. The herby gremolata has personality, but still plays well with entrees with mediterranean flavors.
You can roast the broccolini and make the gremolata in less than 20 minutes. Just because it is a busy weeknight does not mean you have to skip a side. On the flip side, if you are planning an elaborate dinner, this is a simple side dish that still tastes special.
This gremolata breaks the rules in a good way. Traditionally gremolata is an Italian garnish made with chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Here I also include sun dried tomatoes, walnuts and olive oil. That gives it more texture and flavor, and it enhances the roasted broccolini.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It is not baby broccoli. Fresh broccolini should have firm stalks that are not limp or droopy. You can cook broccolini on the stove or in the oven. Compared to broccoli, broccolini tastes more mild and is subtly sweet and peppery.
- Olive oil: Because this recipe has a limited ingredient list, I recommend using high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste. You will need it for both roasting the broccolini and for the gremolata.
- Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes season the broccolini when you roast it.
- Parsley: It is important to finely chop the parsley. You can do this with a sharp chef’s knife. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves.
- Garlic: You want to mince the garlic clove into a paste. Then it will mix better into the gremolata.
- Lemon zest: I just use the zest and not the lemon juice. Most of the aroma and essence of a lemon’s flavor is in the peel.
- Walnuts: Toast the walnuts before you make the recipe. It will bring out the nutty flavor. Spread them out on a sheet pan and toast them in a 350-degree F oven for 5-7 minutes.
- Sun dried tomatoes in the gremolata give the broccolini tomatoey bites here and there that have nice bright acidity.
How To Make This Roasted Broccolini Recipe
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
1. Prep the broccolini. Toss it with oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. You can do this right on the baking sheet. Then spread the broccolini into a single layer.
2. Make the gremolata. Stir the chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest, walnuts, sun dried tomatoes and olive oil in a small bowl. You can do this while the broccolini roasts.
3. Roast the broccoli. Give it 10-12 minutes. It should be crisp-tender. Then toss it with the gremolata. Because the baking sheet is lined, I carefully do this on the hot pan. Then you are ready to plate and serve it.
Serving
As mentioned, this is a great side dish because it is so versatile. I like it with pasta recipes such as chickpea spinach pasta, sun dried tomato penne and fresh herb pappardelle. It also goes with proteins such as chicken, fish, meat or roasted turkey and is worthy of a holiday meal where you want to add some colorful dishes to the table.
Leftovers & Storage
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Then warm them in a 350-degree F oven. Don’t reheat in the microwave or the veggies will get mushy and too soft. I like chopping broccolini and eating it cold in a salad with kale, spinach, arugula or romaine or stirred into brown rice, barley, farro or quinoa.
Recipe Tips
- Do not overcook the broccolini. The stems should have a crispy texture even after you roast them.
- For a shortcut, you can use store-bought pesto instead of gremolata. Pesto is an herby sauce that has a good mix of similar ingredients.
More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes
Tahini Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Parmesan Roasted Zucchini
Balsamic Roasted Red Cabbage
Sautéed Snap Peas
Balsamic Zucchini Tomato Bake
Roasted Cabbage Wedges
Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Broccolini with Sun Dried Tomato Gremolata
Ingredients
For broccolini
- 1 pound broccolini, ends trimmed, thicker stalks sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
For gremolata
- 3/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced into a paste
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
- 2 sun dried tomato halves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- On a baking sheet, toss the broccolini with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Spread the broccolini across the baking sheet.
- Roast the broccolini for 10-12 minutes until crisp-tender and lightly browned on the edges, tossing them halfway through roasting.
- Make the gremolata while the broccolini roasts. Stir the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Toss the roasted broccolini with the gremolata on the pan before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
