What Is Broccoli Rabe, and What Can You Do with It?

One of the things we get in early CSA shares is something called “broccoli rabe.” It’s not broccoli, though it looks a little like it, except for the broccoli crown part. It’s a member of the genus Brassica, and it is related to cabbage, kale, cauliflower and mustard. It’s also known as rapini, and it is commonly used in the cuisines of southern Italy, Portugal, and China. If you know something about Portuguese or Chinese cooking, you may have come across it, but I think those southern Italians have the easiest idea for enjoying our shares of broccoli rabe—just cook it up with some garlic and toss it with pasta. Here are a couple of simple, quick, and tasty recipes for doing just that.

Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe

This recipe takes about a half-hour to prepare, and serves 2 or 3 people.

Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
About ½ lb broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
1/2 pound spaghetti, linguine or other long pasta
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Put a pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. When the oil is warm, add the garlic and cook about 1 to 2 minutes; don’t let it brown. Add the bread crumbs and red pepper flakes and cook until the bread crumbs are golden, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When oil is warm, cook garlic just until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bread crumbs and red pepper flakes and cook until bread crumbs are golden, 5 minutes or so. Remove and set aside. Cook the broccoli rabe in boiling water until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well, and chop. Then put the pasta in the same pot to cook for recommended amount of time. Meanwhile, add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium low heat again. Add broccoli rabe and toss well; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When it is warm, add the garlic and bread crumbs and mix well. When the pasta is done, drain it and then toss it in the skillet with broccoli rabe mixture. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Orecchiette and Broccoli Rabe

This is one of Rachael Ray’s 30-minute recipes. If you can make it in 30 minutes, I applaud you, but it shouldn’t take even the slowest cook much more time than that. This recipe also makes 2 large or 3 small portions. And it’s a lot like the first recipe, except for the type of pasta, which makes me think this is a common way to eat broccoli rabe . . . oh, and you can substitute just about any kind of pasta for the orecchiette.

1/4 pound orecchiette (little ear-shaped pastas) cooked al dente
Large bunch of broccoli rabe
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Black pepper

Put a pot of water on to boil. When it boils, cook the orecchiette to al dente, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, trim ends off broccoli rabe, coarsely chop it, and add it to a deep skillet. Add 2 or 3 cups of water to the pan. Cover the pan and bring the broccoli rabe to a boil. When the rabe wilts down into the pan, salt it. Simmer the rabe for about 7 minutes until tender and no longer bitter. The color should remain deep green. Drain the rabe and reserve. Return the deep skillet to the stove and place it over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, and saute 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and turn to coat them in garlic oil. Drain pasta, reserving about a half cup of pasta water. Add the pasta and water to the pan. Toss pasta and broccoli rabe with lots of grated cheese, salt, and pepper, to your taste. Serve immediately.