Sauteed Broccoli Recipe

Prepare broccoli

Trim broccoli into even, bite-sized florets (about 6 cups). If stems are thick, peel and thin-slice them so they cook at the same rate as florets.

Prepare aromatics

Thinly slice 4 garlic cloves and 1 small shallot. Zest the lemon and cut it in half for juice. Keep zest and juice separate for finishing.

Heat pan

Place a large heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Heat until butter is melted and starts to foam but not brown (about 1 minute).

Sauté aromatics

Add the sliced shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 1–2 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Add broccoli and sear

Add the broccoli florets and stems to the pan, toss to coat in oil and aromatics. Let the broccoli sear without moving for 2 minutes to develop light browning, then toss and sear another 1–2 minutes until edges are bright green and slightly charred.

Steam to tender

Pour in 1 cup of broth or water, immediately cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat to medium, and steam for 3–5 minutes until broccoli is tender-crisp (pierce with a fork; it should have slight resistance).

Finish sauté

Remove the lid and increase heat to medium-high to evaporate remaining liquid, tossing occasionally, about 1–2 minutes. Cook until nearly dry and broccoli is glossy from oil and butter.

Season

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper over the broccoli, toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Brighten & serve

Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the lemon zest and squeeze half (or to taste) of the lemon juice over the broccoli. If using, sprinkle 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or toasted almond slivers. Toss once more and transfer to a serving dish.

Optional garnish

Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil or a pinch more red pepper flakes for heat. Serve hot.