
I have an issue with broccolini. It feels like fake food to me. I’d even swear it’s a new invention – if food can be an invention. The first time I saw it I just assumed it was baby broccoli (it’s not). Then I figured, it must be some sort of dumbed-down broccoli rabe (well, it’s not that either). So rather than try and understand it I simply built a huuuuge rhetorical wall around it and curmudgeonly resisted buying it. Problem solved. Enough said. I don’t need to tell you.
Besides, we’ve already got regular broccoli which is the greatest broccoli in the world. Absolutely beautiful. People are always telling me, how beautiful broccoli is. It’s fantastic. That’s what they say. They’ve never seen anything like it. As far as I’m concerned they can just round up all that broccolini stuff and ship it back to where it came from.
Because some vegetable cooked up by marketing geniuses looking to fill a niche in the market just has to be bad, huh? Ugh! Why would you eat that? You know these marketing guys are worse than the media people, some of whom have blood coming out of their eyes. That’s how horrible they are.
But the thing about niche marketing is this: no matter how ridiculous the product seems to be there’s always an audience that eats it up. Besides, I know you know the niche I’m talking about. You are a part of it and so am I. We are the people always looking for something new. And we have a specific list of requirements when it comes to the latest thing for our plates. So let’s face it, these marketing geniuses know exactly what people like us are looking for – they’ve done studies. So naturally, I resisted it. I refuse to be studied. I mean the head honchos at Big Agro can’t manipulate me, right? Right?
Grilled Broccolini
Wrong. I bought broccolini recently because I’d read on Twitter that grilled broccolini was the greatest thing. Just ask anybody and they’ll tell you. It’s much better than grilled broccoli. Have you ever tried to grill regular broccoli? Ugh, don’t bother. I mean look at it. Regular broccoli tends to dry out on the grill. So I’m here to say that I drank the broccolini Kool-Aid. This means I am on the broccolini bandwagon. The latest broccolini booster. A cruciferous crusader. Shall I go on? I could ya know… GREG
Yeah. I stole this joke from Steve Lopez. But it’s a good one.



The only way I like broccolini so far is grilled. It is a treat.
I’m a big broccolini fan, Greg. I love how easy it is too prep — no peeling the stalk like on regular broccoli. Never thought to grill it — sounds fantastic — especially with that sauce.
Greg, I always enjoy broccolini when I have it out, but I almost never think to buy it. I’ll have to pick some up now because this looks soooooo good! (But I’m not jumping on any bandwagons, I’m just picking up a pound of broccolini!)
What I love about broccolini is the stems are not nearly as cruciferous as broccoli — they actually taste good while we usually discard most of broccoli stems (or freeze to use in veg broth).
Wow. I love EVERYTHING about this recipe! I need to find some Taleggio. Funny thing, my husband loves roasted broccoli — he says it’s better than candy. Me? Not so much.…
I never grilled broccolini , it looks delicious and so creative. Your photos are great, I ‘m jealous!
Grilling greens such as broccolini (or rapini) is brilliant! That taleggio cream is swoon worthy.
In the words of that ridiculous, hair-centric candidate, we are YUUUUGE broccolini fans, and have been so for (not bragging, but…) decades. Now, that said, we always sauté it with chile flakes and, sometimes when we are feeling randy, pancetta. Grilling. Never heard of such silliness. But I have now, and will do so the next time I get it.