Charred Broccolini with Fava Beans in Vinegar
This is a fantastic side dish to almost any meal, but I love it particularly on a hot summer day by itself with thick slices of toasted buttered bread to grab the juices from the pan. I find summer tomatoes work best here because they add a mild hint of sweetness.
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch/about 300 g broccolini
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pint/340 g cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground smoked sweet paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fennel
1/4 cup/60 ml sherry or red wine vinegar
8 oz/230 g cooked fava beans
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
- Trim and discard the tough ends of the broccolini stems. Place the broccolini on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until charred and tender.
- While the broccolini cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil, followed by the tomatoes. Cover with a lid, as the pan might spurt out hot oil. Cook for 2 minutes, rotating the pan carefully with the lid on. Add the coriander, paprika, chilli flakes, and fennel and sauté until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Pour in the vinegar, cover with a lid, and cook until the tomatoes turn soft and the skins burst, 5 to 6 minutes. I like to crush a few tomatoes with a spoon to help release their juices into the pan.
- Fold in the fava beans and roasted broccolini. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until the liquids in the pan bubble and remove from the heat.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot or warm. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Broccoli is a good substitute for broccolini.
- I use Aleppo pepper for the red pepper flakes, but you can use something hotter, like cayenne.
- Besides fava beans, green chickpeas (if you can find them) and white beans are fantastic here.
