This recipe works with just about any tough vegetable – try broccoli rabe, snap peas, or green beans.

Broccolini is milder, sweeter, and more tender than broccoli. In this recipe, broccolini is charred for maximum flavor, and paired with salty, creamy burrata, lemon zest, and spicy chili.

Summary

• For the best charred broccolini, toss with olive oil (easiest when done by hand) and cook, resisting the urge to flip and flop!
• You can use broccoli, broccoli rabe, snap peas, or green beans for this recipe.
• I used Thai red chilis, which are HOT! If you’re spice-averse, try Fresno chilis, jalapeños, crushed red chili flakes, or leave them out altogether.

Charred broccolini is everything that broccoli wants to be.

No shade to broccoli, but I said what I said. Broccolini is more tender and more flavorful than broccoli. When it’s charred on a cast iron pan or on a grill, it goes from great to perfect. You could absolutely use broccoli if you can’t find broccolini at your local grocery store. If going the broccoli route, I find that this is especially delicious if you chop off large florets, then halve them so that they have one flat side. Maximum grill potential! This would also work really well with broccoli rabe, green beans, or snap peas. Switch it up depending on what’s in season!

As long as we’re talking substitutions, burrata can be tricky to find, depending on where you live. I usually buy mine from Trader Joe’s or Costco. Try using soft whole milk mozzarella cheese instead. The higher quality, the better.

How to make charred broccolini in a cast iron skillet

Toss your broccolini in olive oil and salt. Add to a smoking hot cast iron pan and LEAVE IT ALONE! At least 2-3 minutes per side (I like to go 3-4 minutes for my broccolini to have like, a full-on crust). Couldn’t be easier.

Cast iron works best for this application. I took this photo from my skillet, which is an enameled cast iron and gets more use than anything in my kitchen. You can use stainless steel for this as well, but please, whatever you do, don’t use a non-stick pan. Their non-stick coating was not designed for high heat, so you’re ruining your pan as well as potentially releasing some pretty nasty fumes into the air you’re breathing, too.

I would highly recommend investing in a cast-iron skillet if you tend to cook different foods at high heat. And by investing, I don’t mean spending a lot of money, either. A Lodge cast iron skillet is notoriously inexpensive, and they’ve been handed down for generations.

By the way, this is one of the most delicious things that’s come out of my kitchen. Salty, crispy, blackened broccolini plus creamy, soft burrata is enough to get me to the party. The fresh mint and hot spicy chili is what keeps me there.

A note on chilis: I used half of a Thai red chili (also known as a bird’s eye chili), and I’m not afraid of spicy food. Thai chilis are HOT. Use them with caution (or with reckless abandon), it’s up to you.

Try using a Fresno chili or a jalapeño if you’re nervous about the Thai chili. Or, just sprinkle some red chili flakes over the top. Or no chili at all! This is your party, not mine.

This recipe serves 2-4 people, depending on what else is on table! BTW – this is crazy good tossed with pasta.