Roasted sweet baby broccoli topped with a Spanish romesco sauce made from piquillo peppers, almonds, garlic, and seasonings. Packed with flavor, this recipe is sure to spruce up your favorite vegetables.
It's a simple way to put a delicious dinner on the table. I love roasting veggies when I have a chicken in the oven. I just toss them in during the last 15-20 minutes the chicken is cooking and they are ready to go in time for dinner.
What is Sweet Baby Broccoli?
Sweet baby broccoli is a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese kale - this tasty vegetable has been incredibly popular since it was first introduced to the US by Mann Packing, under the catchy name 'Broccolini'. It's a star ingredient in a lot of vegetable dishes as well as a delicious side.
Roasted Baby Broccoli FAQ
- The leaves are edible, so there's no need to remove them
- Trim the stems if they are particularly thick so that everything is evenly cooked
What is Romesco?
Romesco is a Spanish sauce hailing from the Catalonia region. It's tomato-based, with a savory mix of garlic and nuts incorporated. It's perfect for drizzling over vegetables, not to mention over some expertly roasted sweet baby broccoli.
How to Roast Baby Broccoli - Step by Step with Photos
Evenly line up your prepared baby broccoli on a baking tray, and put into your pre-heated oven (photo 1 - 375F). Roast the sweet baby broccoli for around 16-20 minutes, until they are tender when tested with a fork (photo 2).
Romesco Sauce Recipe
While the broccoli are roasting, you can make a start on the Romesco sauce. In a food processor or blender add the drained piquillo peppers, some slivered almonds (less 1 tablespoon), the olive oil, garlic clove, apple cider vinegar, paprika, parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes. Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth sauce.
To serve, lay your roasted sweet baby broccoli on a platter and drizzle your fresh Romesco sauce over the top. Garnish with slivered almonds and some shaved parmesan (if you like). You can also serve the sauce on the side, but it does look so spectacular atop the roasted broccoli!
Looking for more fantastic, vegan side dish veggies?
Here are some of my favorites:
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Roasted Sweet Baby Broccoli with Piquillo Pepper Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 oz jar roasted red piquillo peppers drained
- ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1.5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 bunches sweet baby broccoli
- Optional: shaved parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Roast the sweet baby broccoli 16-20 minutes until fork tender, depending on the thickness of the sweet baby broccoli.
- In the meantime, Add the drained piquillo peppers, slivered almonds (less 1 tbsp), olive oil, garlic clove, apple cider vinegar, paprika, parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- To serve, add the sweet baby broccoli to a serving dish. Top with 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds, shaved parmesan (optional), and either top with romesco sauce or serve on the side.
Notes
- The leaves are edible, so there's no need to remove them
- Trim the stems if they are particularly thick so that everything is evenly cooked
- Sweet baby broccoli is a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese kale - this tasty vegetable has been incredibly popular since it was first introduced to the US by Mann Packing, under the catchy name 'Broccolini'. It's a star ingredient in a lot of vegetable dishes as well as a delicious side.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, and tips January of 2020.
Ario
We just try this tonight and my wife and 3 children absolutely love it. Last night we tried the garlic and tomato confit... It reminds me of an authentic Italian restaurant we used to always go to In San Francisco... It was absolutely perfect thank you again
Candice
This makes me so happy to hear, Ario... thank you for sharing this with me! I love hearing feedback on my recipes 🙂
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
What a beautiful dish this is! I had never tried to cook with broccolini before. My boys love roasted broccoli and I knew they would love this as well. That Romesco sauce is just a beautiful addition to the dish! Can't wait to make it again soon.
Candice
Glad to hear you and your boys enjoyed it, Sandhya!
Ashley
So much flavor in this dish! I also love making this around the holidays because of the beautiful festive colors from the broccolini and the romanesco sauce!
Candice
Thanks for letting me know how much you love making this dish, Ashley... so happy to hear it!
Leanne
Love broccolini! While I knew it was a variation of broccoli and I had no idea it was a hybrid with kale! It's great that you paired it with romesco sauce. My family loved this. Can't wait to make it again!
Candice
So happy to hear it, Leanne! I was shocked to hear that broccolini is trademarked... so crazy! Glad you all enjoyed it!
Colleen
Loved this! So simple, and so delicious. Will be making again & again.
Candice
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Colleen!
Jamie
The romesco sauce is such a hit! I love all the flavors here and it goes perfectly with the roasted broccolini!
Candice
Oh yay! So happy to hear you loved it, Jamie!
Jas @ All that's Jas
This would be a perfect side to any entree! Saving this again for the holidays. YUM
Candice
So happy to hear it, Jas... enjoy your holidays!
Sara Welch
I am going to be adding this to my dinner line up for the week; a sure fire way to get my kids to eat their veggies-delish!
Candice
So happy to hear it, Sara!
Anita
First time roasting broccolini, and we are loving it. I used bell pepper instead of piquillo peppers, and still turned out amazing. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Candice
So happy to hear it, Anita!