Today we’re venturing into one of my all-time favorite vegetable dishes. Sautéeing a head of broccoli rabe is my go-to when I want a quick pasta dish or side for steak or chicken… or anything!
My cousin, Lisa Lombardi, is like me. We LOVE it thanks to our grandparents Rose and Tony Giachello, who made it very often before it became “chic” on menus everywhere.
There’s a delightful bitterness to broccoli rabe that becomes sweeter as it cooks. Some people like to cook it until it’s “dead” as I’ve heard it referred to – dark green and soft. I like to keep it bright and cook it only until it’s fork-tender so the texture remains and there’s a great heartiness.
Broccoli rabe, or rapini, is commonly found in southern Italy, the land of my people! Ha! As much as people consider it related to broccoli, most likely because of the name it has in America, it is not. It’s more commonly related to the turnip, which are both in the Brassicaceae or mustard family.
Prepping it for cooking is easy. Rinse it well in cool water and trim the stems. You can cook it in whole pieces or chopped up, which is obviously my preferred method. You’ll find it commonly served with slices of Italian sausage and orecchiette – or elephant ears – macaroni in Italian restaurants and usually made starting with sautéeing garlic in the oil first. For those who don’t care for garlic (it is shocking to me but yes, I know people that feel about garlic as Dracula does), I wanted to show that you can enjoy broccoli rabe sans garlic and be really thrilled about it.
I don’t know about you but all this talk has made me hungry for some so I’m off to the kitchen! Yummmmmmmm!
Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!
Annette
