This is broccoli as it’s done in Rome: garlic, olive oil, and lemon (almost everything—from mussels to beans to veal—can be cooked with these flavorings and called Roman-style). The first method is more familiar and perhaps a tad more reliable for beginning cooks; the second requires a bit more judgment, but it’s better. If you like, add a few anchovy fillets along with the garlic. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: almost anything—dark leafy greens like collards and kale, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and beets, for example.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Plunge the vegetable into the boiling water and cook until fairly tender, 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water or run under cold water. Drain again.
Step 2
Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the drained vegetable and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring only when necessary—you don’t want the broccoli to fall apart—until the vegetable begins to brown; add the lemon zest and cook for another minute or two.
Step 3
Add the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve hot or at room temperature.
Alternative method
Step 4
Skip step 1. In step 2, start with 1/4 cup olive oil (and, if you like, add a dried chile). Thirty seconds after adding the garlic, add the broccoli or cauliflower and 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan. Cook, uncovering and stirring occasionally, until the vegetable is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.
