This Italian sauteed broccoli and asparagus is a delicious and nutritious healthy side dish and easy recipe to make for busy days. It cooks in minutes and is a gluten-free and vegetarian side dish.
I’d never made broccoli and sauteed asparagus together but, I soon found out how well these two vegetables go together.
The edges of the broccoli get a little crispy which make it far more interesting than plain steamed broccoli.
This recipe is similar to my sauteed broccoli rabe recipe, which is also sauteed in EVOO and lemon juice.
The sauteed asparagus is just the right amount of crispiness because we all know how mushy and lackluster overcooked asparagus is.
Additionally, the flavor of the extra-virgin olive oil with fresh lemon juice and chopped garlic gives this dish a wonderful, aromatic flavor.
Because the cook time is short for this tasty side dish, it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Moreover, you get to choose the crispiness of the fresh vegetables. If you like them a bit more tender, just cook them a couple of minutes longer.
Finish this dish with a sprinkling of parmesan and you have yourself a delightful, nutritious side dish for dinner. The grated parmesan cheese adds such a good touch to this dish but, it can easily be omitted to be a perfect Vegan dish.
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Sauteed Broccoli and Asparagus
First, let’s talk about how to prep the fresh vegetables. If you’re a seasoned cook, pun intended, you can skip down to the ingredients part. It will take you longer to prep the vegetables for this dish than to cook it but, fear not. It will not take that long to prep the vegetables either, especially with my tips below.
How to clean and cut asparagus
Because asparagus is sold in a bunch of spears held together by rubber bands, it’s easiest to cut them while they’re still in the rubber bands.
Cut them right at the point of the second rubber band which is usually about two inches from the bottom of the spears where the spears are more whiteish. That’s the part that is harder and bitter and it the part I toss in the trash.
After cutting the whiteish part off of the bunch of asparagus, I’ll make another cut under the other rubber band so that I have two bunches of two inch or so long bite-sized pieces.
Then, I take the rubber bands off and rinse them thoroughly in a colander under cold water or soak them in cold water for a few minutes.
How to clean and cut broccoli
A crown of broccoli is easy to clean. First, cut the big stem off of the bottom. Then, cut the florets and keep cutting them into two inch or so bite-sized pieces. If you have to cut a big floret lengthwise to make it thinner, do so. That’ll be perfect for this recipe.
Then, either rinse the florets thoroughly under cold water or soak them in cold water for a few minutes.
Ingredients
*The printable, full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- broccoli florets
- asparagus spears
- lemon juice
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sprinkling of parmesan cheese
- fresh garlic
- Italian seasoning
- black pepper
- pinch of salt
Instructions Summary
*The printable, full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
First, clean broccoli and asparagus. Then, cut broccoli into florets and slice asparagus into bit-sized pieces (about two inch long.) Then, steam vegetables in a large skillet for about 3 minutes on medium-high heat.
Then, add olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt to taste. Cook until desired crispiness of the vegetables. Last, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Additions and Substitutions
- Substitute cauliflower florets if you don’t have broccoli.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to give it some spiciness.
- Use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic.
This is a great recipe for weeknights that goes great with chicken, steak or pork. You’ll feel good serving this to your family because it’s filled with vitamins and antioxidants.
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Easy Italian Sauteed Broccoli and Asparagus with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus spears
- 1 lb bunch broccoli (or 7 oz broccoli florets)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, clean and cut the vegetables. Cut broccoli into florets and slice asparagus into bit-sized pieces (about two inch long.)
- Then, add fresh vegetables to a large skillet with 1/4 cup of water. Steam vegetables for about 3 minutes, uncovered on medium-high heat.
- Then, add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt to taste. Cook vegetables about 4 more minutes or until desired crispiness.
- Last, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Notes
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Categories:
Gluten Free Recipes, Healthier Recipes, Italian Recipes, Italian Side Dishes, Side dishes, Vegetarian,
Thanks for the 5-star rating.
Thanks Paul.
Taste GREAT!
Very tasty and easy to make.