Cut the broccoli into evenly sized florets, about 1& 1/2 ” wide. I kept a bit of the stems on mine; they were about 2” long. Trim stems of any leaves or tough skin. Wash well under cold running water.

Blanch the broccoli, by dropping it into a pot of boiling water,. Be careful not to splash yourself. Boil for about 3 minutes, until crisp/tender and bright green.

While the broccoli is boiling, prepare a large bowl of ice water.

With a slotted spoon transfer the broccoli to the ice bath, and let them sit for at least 30 seconds. This will “shock” the florets and stop the cooking process. Strain off the water and ice, and pat dry.

Finely chop a tablespoon of garlic.

Zest and juice one lemon. You will have some lemon juice left over, which you can save for another recipe, like a salad dressing…

Stir 1 & ½ tsp sea salt into 2 Tbs of lemon juice.

Heat a wide shallow pan over a medium-low burner. Add olive oil, and quickly add the chopped garlic and lemon zest. You don’t want the oil to get too hot, because it is easy to burn the garlic. Saute for about a minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant and is just beginning to brown SLIGHTLY!

Take the pan off the heat. Add the red pepper flakes and the salted lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Toss the blanched broccoli in the lemon garlic mixture. Garnish with shaved Parmesan if you like (omit if you are dairy free). You can also garnich with some toasted pine nuts.

This dish can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.