Sicilian-style broccoli

Recipe by
Luisa Orizio

Sicilian-style broccoli is a baked gratin built on four assertive pantry staples — olives, capers, anchovies, and oregano — that give an everyday vegetable enough character to hold its own at the table. Drawn from the flavors of Sicilian regional cooking, the dish starts with blanched broccoli, which then goes into the oven with bread cubes and grated cheese until everything crisps into a golden, crackling crust. The bread cubes are worth noting: cut into small pieces rather than ground into crumbs, they catch the heat differently and give the gratin a chunkier, more satisfying texture.

The result is versatile enough to move between roles. It works as a side alongside meat or fish, but it is also substantial enough to serve as a light vegetable lunch with a slice of toasted bread — the kind of honest, rustic plate that tends to win over people who think they don't like broccoli. The anchovy and caper combination does most of the heavy lifting here, bringing a saline depth that keeps the dish from tasting mild, while the oregano ties everything back to the Mediterranean pantry the recipe draws from.

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