May 7, 2023Grey

Cacio E Pepe Broccolini With Crispy White Beans and Burrata

Cacio e Pepe Broccolini To Kick Off Warm Weather Cooking!

Hello friends!!

Welcome to May! The sun is finally shining, the grass is green, and the hearty dishes are taking a backseat while the light and bright recipes move forward to shine!

Now, don’t get me wrong, hearty dishes can be a year-long thing, but you gotta give the no-cook or light-cook meals some love too!

That’s what brings us here today to a review of a recipe that is just perfect for these Spring/Summer dinners! Whether you’re cooking for just one other person or for a dinner party…I think you may have a new go-to!

This week I’ll be covering a recipe for Cacio e Pepe Broccolini with Crispy White Beans and Burrata. This recipe is by Hetty McKinnon of Food & Wine and you can find the recipe right -> here!

Is This Broccolini Dish Easy To Make?

Absolutely. This dish calls for minimal time at the stove, which is a major bonus. While you may need to cook at a higher heat to char the broccolini and soften is up a bit, it happens very quickly, so make sure you’re paying attention!

Making a note for this particular review that I was unable to find broccolini, so I ended up using baby broccoli from Trader Joes. It turned out wonderful!

So regardless if you’re using broccolini or baby broccoli–this dish will work wonderfully. As mentioned, this comes together VERY quickly. Once the broccolini is cooked, you’ll toss in the beans, the garlic, and the Fresno chili to cook once again at that high heat. Notice on my plate..we’re missing that red chili. I ended up subbing in half a jalapeño and it was just enough heat without you pointing out that “there’s something spicy in this”.

The rest of the ingredients are added and tossed in the bowl or added to the serving plate. See? Minimal cooking. It’s outstanding. So if you have under an hour to make this dish, then I honestly believe it can be done. Obviously, I end up adding about 10 minutes or more if I’m reviewing the recipe multiple times, prepping everything, etc. But once you have this recipe down, it’s ready. The recipe card states 40 minutes from start to finish. That time is believable. Absolutely. So is this broccolini easy to make and doesn’t take much time?

Yes. 🙂

Broccolini and Burrata–What A Delicious Mix

Truth be told, the reason I came across this recipe in the first place was because I wanted to make something using burrata, that delicious mozzarella-looking with cottage cheese consistency on the inside cheese. It is such a fantastic addition to this dish. Broccolini obviously has that like….”green” bitter flavor, ya know? And the beans aren’t very loud in flavor. For me it’s all about texture, temperature, and how it comes together. Each of these ingredients combined results in a delicious and light dish. The burrata adds such a nice creamy texture with each bite.

I would not replace burrata with any other cheese, not even mozzarella. I think it just really needs that creamy consistency to tie everything together.

What To Serve With The Broccolini?

While this dish can certainly be served as an entree, I would recommend having something else on the side. It may be a preference, but having that much broccoli and beans for a full meal is…a bit much. I needed something else on the side. Now, I’m not saying you need to have meat. That is entirely up to you. I would recommend pork tenderloin (what I ended up making), grilled chicken, salmon, steak, or even some grains!

Cacio e Pepe Broccolini with White Beans and Burrata

Grey’s Grade: 5/5

If every recipe is like this for the rest of the year, I’ll be happy. And that means–easy, delicious, and worth repeating!

This dish is all of that. It’s delicious, easy to make, and I anticipate making this again. If you’re looking to bring something to a potluck, then this would absolutely be a great option. This does not need to be served hot. All the ingredients are easily accessible at most grocery stores. If not, you can absolutely find easy alternatives just like I did!

So, if you’re looking for a recipe that is quick and tasty, I highly recommend that you give this one a try!

What are your favorite light dinners for this time of year? Let me know in the comments!

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