If the florets are beginning to turn yellow, the broccolini is no longer good. The same applies if the bases appear dried out, if the stems have soft spots, or if there are signs of flowering on the heads. Broccolini should be stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag or container inside the refrigerator until ready to use.

If the thin stalks are connected by a single thick stalk, this thick portion of the stalk holding the bundle together should be cut off. If any of the stalks you use are still a little too thick, you can trim them in half lengthwise for more manageable pieces.

Broccolini is usually mostly free of dirt and debris, so it needs little more than a quick rinse to clean.

By adding the salt after the water reaches a boil, you cut down on the total amount of time it takes the water to reach a boil. Salt water boils more slowly than regular water.

Drain immediately by pouring the contents of the stockpot through a colander. If you allow the broccolini to stay in the hot water longer, it will continue to cook and may get mushy. Cook for 2. 5 minutes if you want the broccolini to be tender-crisp. If you want it to be a little softer without a crisp bite, cook for a full 5 minutes.

Use roughly 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of salt for every 4 qt (4 L) of water.

Drain immediately when done. Pour the broccolini through a colander or remove it from the stockpot with tongs. If you drag your feet on this step and let the vegetable stay in the hot water for too long, it will continue to cook and may become too tender or mushy.

Leave the broccolini in the ice water for about 2 minutes. As a general rule, blanched vegetables should be left in ice water for as long as they were left in boiling water in order to put a full stop to the cooking process.

Do not be alarmed if the broccolini sizzles once you place it in the pan. The violent sizzle results when water clinging to the vegetable touches the hot oil. If you want to minimize this reaction, quickly drain the wet broccolini on paper towels before placing it in the skillet.

Make sure that you have a steamer basket that fits into the stockpot you use. The steamer basket should not come into direct contact with the water, even after the water reaches a boil. If you do not have a steamer basket, you could use a metal colander, instead.

The stockpot needs to be covered for the duration of the cooking process. The steam produced by the boiling water is responsible for cooking the broccolini in this method, and as such, you need to let as much of it build up as possible.

You could also use a shallow baking dish instead of a baking sheet, but avoid roasting pans with tall sides. Lining the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper is not recommended. You can, however, coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray if you are running low on cooking oil.

By arranging the broccolini in one layer, you ensure that the individual pieces cook as evenly as possible.

It is a good idea to toss the broccolini in oil before tossing it in any other seasonings. The oil provides and even coating for the other seasonings to stick to, making it easier for those seasonings to stick for the duration of the cooking process.

Stir the broccolini occasionally as it cooks to ensure that all sides and stems get evenly cooked.

If necessary or desired, you can cut the broccolini into smaller pieces. The smaller pieces can be easier to fit inside of a cramped microwaveable dish, so if you are having difficulty fitting the tall, skinny pieces in the dish, cutting them up is a viable option.

Ideally, the broccolini should be mostly submerged under the liquid. If some of the broccolini is submerged but some is not, it may not cook evenly.

Pause the microwave halfway through to stir the broccolini in the dish. This is especially important if some of the pieces are submerged in liquid and others are not. This can be skipped, however, if all of the pieces are evenly submerged.