“Broccolini works surprisingly well on the grill (unlike regular broccoli, which tends to dry out and can take forever to tenderize). You don’t have to peel the stems, and the florets have a moisture and looseness to them that helps them crisp up nicely without disintegrating.” – Around the Fire
I made this dish about an hour ahead of serving time. In order to bring it to the table hot, I plated the grilled broccolini on a heatproof serving dish and stuck it under the broiler until the sauce began to bubble.
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccolini (trimmed)
- kosher salt (as needed)
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 ounce taleggio cheese (rinds trimmed away, cheese cut into 1⁄2‑inch pieces)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Freshly ground white pepper (as needed)
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pine nuts (lightly toasted)
Directions
Prepare a grill to medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, to blanch the broccolini, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Divide the broccolini into three bunches and place one bunch into the boiling water. Cook until bright green and slightly tender, about 1 minute; transfer to the ice water. Repeat with the remaining broccolini bunches. Drain and transfer to a towel to dry.
Pour the heavy cream into a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Add the taleggio pieces and whisk slowly into the hot cream until melted. Add the nutmeg, then season with salt and white pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Coat the blanched broccolini with the oil and season with salt. Transfer to the grill, using a grill basket if desired, and cook until the florets begin to char lightly, 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 1 minute.
To serve, place the broccolini on one large or four small plates. Spoon the taleggio cream over the broccolini, dividing it evenly. Garnish with the chopped pine nuts.
