This fresh and flavour-packed broccolini side dish was a hit when I made it on CTV’s The Good Stuff with Mary Berg, and for good reason. It’s vibrant, textured, and checks all the boxes: something green, something savoury, and something that will get people actually excited about vegetables at the table.

I love this dish because it brings so much to the plate without overcomplicating the prep. Whether you’re serving it for a holiday meal, a Sunday dinner, or a weekday gathering, it offers a pop of colour and a delicious contrast of flavours, think smoky bacon, zippy tomato-caper dressing, and crispy Parm breadcrumbs. You can serve it warm, room temp, or even slightly chilled, which makes it super flexible for entertaining.

This broccolini recipe is also make-ahead friendly. Prep the components in advance, toss everything together just before serving, and you’re good to go. It’s the kind of thoughtful side that adds a restaurant-quality finish to your holiday table, without any extra stress.

Why You’ll Love This Broccolini Side Dish

• Balanced flavour: smoky, salty, sweet, tangy, and herbaceous
• Texture for days: crisp-tender broccolini, crunchy breadcrumbs, juicy tomatoes
• Easy to prep ahead: great for holiday meals or entertaining
• Naturally colourful: looks beautiful on any table

Ingredients

For the Broccolini

• 680g broccolini, ends trimmed

For the Bread Crumb Topping

• 5 slices bacon, sliced into ½-inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

For the Tomato-Caper Dressing

• 2 cups small-diced Roma tomatoes (about 4)
• 3 tablespoons capers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon liquid honey
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccolini and cook uncovered for about 8 minutes, until tender and bright green. Do not overcook. Drain and let cool.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy (about 8–10 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and set on paper towel to drain.
3. Reduce heat to low. Add chili flakes to the bacon fat and cook for 20 seconds. Stir in panko breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Once cooled, mix in the Parmigiano.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the tomatoes, capers, shallot, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey. Stir in the chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Chop the broccolini into bite-sized pieces. Toss with three-quarters of the tomato-caper dressing.
6. Arrange on a serving platter. Spoon the remaining dressing on top, followed by the bacon bits and breadcrumb mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips for Success

• Use fresh basil and ripe Roma tomatoes for the best flavour.
• Want to make it vegetarian? Skip the bacon and use olive oil instead for the breadcrumb mixture.
• The breadcrumbs can be made a day ahead, just store in an airtight container at room temp.

This is one of those holiday side dishes that turns heads and earns recipe requests. Try it for your next gathering, or simply because you need a vegetable that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

Want more Good Stuff recipes? You might also love:

• Jalapeno-Cranberry Cheese Ball
• Herb & Garlic Roasties
• Bedazzled Labneh Dip

Broccolini with Tomato-Caper Dressing and Parm Breadcrumbs

Print Recipe

• Author: Andrea Buckett on The Good Stuff
• Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Broccolini

• 680g broccolini, ends trimmed
• For the bread crumb topping
• 5 slices bacon, sliced into ½” pieces
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ⅛ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano

For the Tomato-Caper Dressing

• 2 cups, small diced Roma Tomatoes (about 4)
• 3 tablespoon capers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon liquid honey
• 3 tablespoons, chopped basil
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. For the broccolini, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the broccolini and bring back to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for about 8 minutes, until the stems of the broccolini are tender and it is bright green in color. Do not overcook it. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. For the breadcrumb topping, add the bacon to a pan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes, until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, onto a paper towel to drain.
3. Turn the heat down to low. Add the chili flakes to the bacon fat and cook for about 20 seconds. Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the breadcrumbs turn golden brown, about 6 minutes or so. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl to cool completely. Once they are completely cool, mix in the Parmigiano cheese.
4. For the dressing, add the tomatoes, capers, shallot, garlic, lemon zest and juice, honey into a bowl and mix to combine. Stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. To assemble, chop the broccolini into 1 -inch sized pieces. Add it to a mixing bowl. Mix in three quarters of the tomato-caper dressing. Pile the broccolini onto a serving platter or bowl. Top with the remaining tomato-caper dressing and the bacon bits. Finish by scattering the breadcrumbs on top.