Sautéed Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) 

I first encountered broccoli rabe (aka broccoli raab or rapini) while living in Florence, Italy, where farmers’ market vendors stacked the big bunches high from fall until early spring. These bouquets of deep green leaves on leggy stems with a few tiny broccoli florets peeking out look mild mannered, but they pack a bitter punch. 

In Italy, bitter flavors are prized—think Campari in a Negroni cocktail or a crimson radicchio salad—and broccoli rabe fits right in. Sautéed with garlic, restaurants often serve it as a simple “contorni,” a side dish, alongside richer meat dishes to balance out the heaviness. 

While you can sauté it and eat it without blanching it, savvy Italian cooks usually give this vegetable a quick dunk in boiling water to mellow the flavor and tenderize the fibrous stems before. After that step, a quick saute and you’ll arrive at a vibrantly green, zesty side dish. It’s a delicious way to enjoy dark leafy greens, a cornerstone food in the Mediterranean Diet. 

Ingredients

This quick side dish combines this leavy vegetable with just a few ingredients to accent its flavor. Everything you need is easy to find at any grocery store. Here’s what to pick up.

• Broccoli rabe is best in cooler months. Look for bunches with no yellow leaves and thin, tender looking stems. Give it a sniff—pass on any bunches that smell like old cabbage, they’ve been on the shelf too long!
• Garlic: Broccoli rabe has an affinity to assertive flavors, so I use a little more garlic than I normally would for other sautéed greens. 
• Chili flakes: Just a pinch of chili heat pairs beautifully with the bite of rabe. 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper enhance the flavor of the overall dish
• Extra virgin olive oil: Choose a fruity, less assertive olive oil to counter the bitterness of the greens 
• Lemon: A squeeze of lemon juice lifts the flavors of this leafy green 

How to Cook Broccoli Rabe

The best tasting broccoli rabe recipes involve a two-step cooking process, but never fear! In this efficient recipe you’ll do the blanching step and the sauteeing step in the same pot, meaning less dishes to wash. The entire dish comes together in minutes. Here’s how: 

• Prepare the broccoli rabe. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. While the water is heating up, wash 1 large (10-ounce to 1-pound) bunch broccoli rabe. Trim off a bit of broccoli rabe stem and taste it. If it is tender, only trim off 1/2-inch. If the stems are very fibrous, trim off more. Cut the rabe into 2-inch lengths.
• Blanch the broccoli rabe. When the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt to the pot. Add the broccoli rabe and boil until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Drain through a colander and set aside.
• Sauté the aromatics. Return the pot to the stove and set over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 thinly-sliced garlic cloves and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic softens but does not color, 45 seconds. 
• Sauté the broccoli rabe. Add the broccoli rabe and the chili flakes and increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring with tongs occasionally, until the broccoli rabe is evenly coated in the garlic and oil, about 2 minutes. 
• Season and serve. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon over the broccoli rabe and serve immediately. Leftover broccoli rabe can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

What is Broccoli Rabe?

Despite its broccoli-like appearance, broccoli rabe is actually more closely related to turnips (it’s called “turnip tops” in Italian) and as such this leafy green provides an assertive, mustardy flavor with a bitter edge that is prized by Italian cooks. Don’t mistake it for broccolini or purple sprouting broccoli, which are leggy breeds of broccoli with a milder flavor and juicer stems. 

Broccoli rabe is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s high in beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. It’s also a good source of dietary fiber and one serving will give you 112% of your recommended daily value of vitamin K—hello, strong bones!

What To Serve With Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli rabe is often paired with pasta dishes in Italy. Perhaps the most famous rabe dish is from Puglia, where they pair orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. The richness of the meat and the blandness of the pasta tempers the bitterness of the rabe brilliantly. 

Serve this recipe alongside rich meats like sausages or chops or a pork roast. For a simpler meal, it’s wonderful atop sweet, creamy polenta topped with a poached egg and a shower of Pecorino Romano cheese. 

I’ve also enjoyed broccoli rabe on crostini spread with fresh ricotta or as a unique topping for veggie pizza. It’s incredibly adaptable!