Feast on our Single-Serving Broccolini with Sausage recipe! Perfectly cooked broccolini paired with flavorful sausage for a delightful meal that can be ready in just 30 minutes!
Step into your kitchen and get ready to create a flavor-packed, perfectly portioned meal with our single serving Broccolini with Sausage recipe. This dish elegantly combines the tender, slightly sweet broccolini with the savory, hearty punch of sausage, making it an incredibly satisfying and balanced dish.
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What Is Broccolini?
Often referred to as baby broccoli, broccolini is a green vegetable resembling broccoli but distinguishable by its slender stalks and petite florets. This hybrid creation, a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, delights with a gentle sweetness and a trace of peppery zing. The nutritional profile of broccolini is impressive, boasting a rich supply of vitamins C, K, and A, alongside beneficial fiber and iron.
Unlike traditional broccoli with its thicker stalks and larger florets, broccolini's delicate structure lends itself well to a variety of cooking methods including sautéing, steaming, roasting, or grilling. For this recipe, broccolini shines as the vegetable of choice. However, if sourcing it proves challenging, regular broccoli serves as a perfectly acceptable substitute.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple and Quick: With just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
- Balanced Flavors: The blend of slightly sweet broccolini with savory sausage makes for a delicious harmony of flavors.
- Versatile: This recipe can be easily adjusted to fit dietary preferences or restrictions.
- Nutritious: Broccolini is rich in nutrients, making this a healthy one-dish meal.
RELATED: 5 Simple Tips When Cooking For One
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Broccolini: What I love about broccolini is how easy it is to prepare and how little waste there is. You just trim the stems by about a half-inch or so and cook. If you can't find broccolini, use regular or Chinese broccoli instead.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this broccolini recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It's my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Smoked sausage: Choose a sausage variety that suits your preference, such as Italian, spicy, or chicken sausage. For a vegetarian option, use a plant-based sausage substitute.
- Garlic and red pepper flakes: 1 garlic clove and a pinch of red pepper flakes add a tremendous amount of flavor. If you don't want your dish to be too spicy, feel free to leave off the pepper flakes.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, but you can use bottled if that is what you have on hand.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a delicious flavor.
How To Cook Broccolini
Blanch the broccolini in a medium-sized pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and cool under cold running water.
How To Make Broccolini With Sausage
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
I use about 3.5 ounces (about ¾ cup sliced) of smoked sausage.
- Step 1: I sauté the sausage in a bit of olive oil along with sliced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Step 2: Add in the cooked broccolini and heat it along with the sausage and garlic.
- Step 3: When all of the ingredients are heated through, remove the skillet from the heat, stir in a touch of lemon juice, and top with Parmesan cheese.
A wonderful 30-minute meal that tastes incredibly delicious!
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Smoked sausage: Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers, Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice
- Broccolini: Use in place of broccoli in any of these recipes: Broccoli Cheese Soup, Cashew Chicken, Italian Pasta Salad
Expert Tips
- Trim the ends of the broccolini before cooking for a tender bite.
- Make sure to cook the sausage thoroughly to ensure it's safe to eat.
- You may use broccoli instead of broccolini in this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just double the ingredient amounts to make extra.
Yes, but it tastes best when cooked.
Yes, you can cook this dish in advance and reheat it when ready to eat. Just be careful not to overcook the broccolini on reheating to maintain its texture.
Serving Suggestions
This Broccolini with Sausage dish can be enjoyed as a meal on its own, thanks to its balance of vegetables and protein. For a more substantial meal, you can serve it with a side of quinoa, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the flavorful juices.
If you’ve tried this broccolini recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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RELATED: Cooking For One Tips To Eat Healthy And Save Money
Recipe
Broccolini With Sausage For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ pound broccolini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3.5 ounces sliced smoked sausage , can use Kielbasa, Bratwurst, Andouille, or turkey sausage (about ¾-cup sliced)
- 1 clove garlic , thinly sliced
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Blanch the broccolini in a medium-sized pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and cool under cold running water. Gently squeeze the broccolini and pat dry. Place broccolini on a cutting board and chop.
- In a medium-sized skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook one side over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Flip the sausages over, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook the other side of the sausages for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add the broccolini to the skillet and cook, stirring until tender, 3 minutes.
- Remove skillet from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, to taste.
Notes
- Trim the ends of the broccolini before cooking for a tender bite.
- Make sure to cook the sausage thoroughly to ensure it's safe to eat.
- You may use broccoli instead of broccolini in this recipe.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Leanne Long says
I used broccoli instead of broccolini - could not locate that in my small town. Yummy!
Joanie Zisk says
Awesome, Leanne. I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Leanne Long says
I also love to stir fry kielbasa with large chunks of bell pepper, onion, celery, carrot and water chestnuts. I steam the veggies lightly and add to the sauted kielbasa chunks. Then I add some sesame oil and soy sauce. I serve it over cauliflower rice that I have heated up. This can be adjusted to whatever your taste is and I suppose chicken, shrimp or other meats can be used. I just like the kielbasa because it only needs to be heated up and caramelized a bit.
Wendy O'Neal says
This was soooo good. I made it last night because hubby and the kids were gone AND it has my two favs...sausage and broccolini. Delish!
Crystal Lopez says
Such a simple and flavorful dish! I have to say hands down broccolini is my favorite and this comes together so easy and wonderful!