Maria's Broccoli Rabe

I grew up on broccoli rabe. If you love the flavor of hearty green vegetables, try making it like native Italians do. Instead of boiling add the broccoli rabe raw to the hot oil and garlic in a large skillet. Stir and cook until bright green and a little tender, less than ten minutes (or longer if you like it thouroughly cooked). That's it. Try it with some red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

First of all, remove stems, all you want are the leaves and the flowerettes on the top. Boil in salted water. Remove. You can either saute this with garlic and olive oil, or parboil then finish cooking in broth. Add a can of cannellini beans or dark red kidney beans. Be sure to use fresh garlic. A little onion powder and a bit of salt and pepper and you have a low calorie, very healthy meal.

YOU HAVE REFORMED ME!! I have always wanted to love broccoli rabe, but have always hated the bitterness when you just saute it. BOILING IS THE SECRET. The bitterness is gone and it is delicious. So nice to have a new healthy veg; I now cook it at least once a week. I also used this method with Broccolini and it, too, helps eliminate the bitterness. I am looking forward to trying this method with Chinese Broccoli from the Asian Market as that too is so bitter and very very similar to rabe. THANK YOU!

I make this recipe often, with a few changes: I serve this over penne pasta, use 4-6 cloves of garlic, and saute 2 large tomatoes, quartered. After I blanch and drain the broccoli rabe, I saute the tomatoes for approximately 10 minutes on medium low while I cook penne pasta in another pot. I then add the drained broccoli rabe to the tomatoes and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Served over penne pasta with a generous amount of Parmesan or Romano, this has become one of our family standbys!

Broccoli rabe is an acquired taste, even for native Italians (my dad is from Naples and mom is from Trieste - neither of whom would touch the stuff until I cooked it my way). The recipe submitted is basic but can be enhanced this way. Trim the ends of the stems. Bring a large pot or saucepan filled with salted water to a boil. Immerse the BR and cook for no more than 8 minutes. Drain immediately, flash chill and then spread on cookie sheet to continue cool down. The BR will be bright green yet tender. Cut the BR into bite size pieces. Saute some garlic to taste and a few hot pepper flakes in olive oil - about 3 tbsp. should do it. Then add BR, toss to coat and remove from heat when warmed through; you don't want to lose that beautiful bright green color. Place on a serving plate, top with a squirt of lemon juice and maybe some homemade toasted breadcrumbs. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and enjoy.

This was tasty and I'll make it again - but with less oil and maybe half as much time boiling. The boiling seems to remove much of the bitterness from the broccoli rabe, although there's enough bite left that it still tastes like broccoli rabe should taste! However, although the flavor was great, the texture got just a little mushier than I'd like. Also, mine came out a little oily and I would cut down on the oil next time. That said, I really liked this recipe and I will definitely make it again. Thanks for sending it in!

I love veggies, but have never had broccoli rabe. I cannot get it anywhere around where i am from. Is there something that compares in taste that I might be able to substitute?...Thanks

I just finished making this and it is absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to make it again. The only thing I did different was to use 3 cloves of garlic and add a sprinkle of red pepper at the end of cooking. Thanks for real keeper.

I just tried this tonight since Broccoli Rabe was on sale for 99 cents/lb. It was delicious AND easy!

This was for my first dinner party and my first time making broccoli rabe. It was so easy and tasty. Needless to say, there weren't any leftovers!!!

This is delicious! I use a lot of garlic and I add crushed red pepper, season with salt and pepper. We made this for a roast pork sandwich with provolone cheese and Italian long hot peppers. Fantastic!

This was very good and my first attempt at broccoli rabe. I think maybe my husband over cooked the rabe but the flavor was great :)

I add about a tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar to all my recipes for rabe

i've boiled it, sauted it, microwaved it, added lemon, salt, pepper, honey, cross cut the stems, added parm cheese and the only way to get the bitterness out is to use another vegetable. This stuff cannot be made without the inedible bitterness. Chinese broccoli is totally different. Par boil Chinese broccoli first, stir fry it or saute it and it is the best.

This was a hundred times better than I thought it would be! We'd had this at our favorite Marble Falls restaurant, Cafe 909, and still remember it four years later. So when I saw it fresh in the store I picked some up in hopes to make something similar. This was above and beyond my expectations! I can't wait to make more. Updated: Made more. Still just as delicious!

I am a huge broccoli Rabe fan!! I have aways just sauted it a bit and add just a little water to get it cooked. The bitterness never really bothered me or for that matter, crossed my mind or taste buds. I figured that was the way it was supposed to taste. The flavor is Fabulous!! It can be hard to find but when I do, I grab a couple bunches,cook it all up and freeze asmall portions of it for later dinners. I do the same with collard greens. If you haven't tried this spring time veggy, you Must. It is very good, it's better with some bacon sprinkled in it too. LOL Thank you Maria, I will be making this again and again!

I've been making this Italian recipe for years, just like my mom and my grandma always did. Simple but so delicious!

Add another voice that says you must either blanch or lightly boil broccoli rabe (a.k.a. Rapini). I like bitterness, but unblanched this vegetable is simply too bitter. An Italian friend told me the secret and now I love to have this vegetable from time to time. This recipe was perfect with my Chicken Cacciatore! Thanks for posting!

My mother added olive oil to about an inch or less of water salted to taste. She cut off the tough thicker stems and added the clean broccoli rabe and plenty of chopped garlic to the boiling water, covered the pot, stirring as needed. Allow greens to cook down to that lovely green color which is just about tender or to desired tenderness. Delicious! No frying in oil needed!

This is the BEST way to prepare Broccoli Rabe. Some recipes call for adding a bit of the cooking water...but that makes it very bitter. I usually fry up hot Italian sausage links, then add them to the olive oil, garlic and Rabe....let simmer till done, add the cheese and eat with Italian or French bread.

Wonderful and so tasty. Boiling (or simmering) does cut the slight bitterness a bit. I suggest cutting stalks in half and cooking the bottom stems for a bit longer than the tops so that the stalks are tender and the flowers are not overcooked. Enjoy!

I've been making this recipe for a long time and I am addicted! I started making this dish as a meal instead of a side dish. I add extra galic because we love garlic! I also add a few pinches of hot pepper flakes to spice it up. When the rapini is cooked, I toss in some pasta or cheese filled tortellini. I comes out a little dry because there is no sauce, so I add more olive oil and throw in 2 or 3 diced fresh tomatoes. Comes out great! If I could eat this every day, I would!

This recipe was enjoyed by my Italian family for many years, except, we serve it over spaghetti. It is also delicious over linguine or cavatelli. If serving over pasta add more garlic and olive oil, otherwise, it may be a little dry. For a little bite, add red pepper flakes. Enjoy!!

Thank you so much for this recipe! I removed the stems, my personal preference, but definitely don't need to. I just had a spinach in Bostons North End and I think this is exactly how they made it. I will try in the future.

I do not eat this myself, but I make it for my g/f all the time and she loves it. In case you are having trouble finding it in the store, it is also called rapini (guess it depends on where you are). My g/f likes it bitter, so she makes me look for the one with the most flowers, the more flowers in the bunch the bitterer it is

I just made this for pork & broccoli rabe sandwiches and it came out great. For years I have been steaming the broccoli rabe and then would saute it with the garlic, and it would still be pretty bitter. Boiling is definitely the way to go!

I had rapini at a restaurant not long ago and loved it. So I bought some and steamed it at home for dinner. Ugh!! It was so bitter I just about died. Thank goodness for this recipe! After my first failed attempt, I tried again with these tips and it was much, much better. I would say that yes, boiling is the key to getting rid of the bitterness. Next time I might try this with a few drops of lemon juice...

This was pretty good. It definitely needed salt and pepper. Next time I will double the amount of garlic and skip the first step of boiling the broccoli, it came out too soft for our taste.

This is a very good recipe. The only thing I changed was this: I cut the stems off the heads, about mid-way. I added the stems to the water and boiled for 5 minutes...I then added the heads and boiled for another five minutes. This allows the stems to soften and makes the dish MUCH better.

Excellent. My first experience cooking broccoli rabe. Will not be my last. Followed recipe but used extra garlic, and didn't use cheese (didn't need it!). Thank you Maria.

yum! useful instructions! I add some hot pepper flakes as well for kick.

This recipe is delicious. Broccoli Rabe is one of my favorite vegetables, and this is my favorite way to make it.

This is the best ever way to cook broccoli rabe, my daughter loves them done this way , I also cook homemade sausages and mix them in together . It is absolutely deliciouse with crusty bread

I enjoy that the recipe is simple enough to enjoy the natural flavors. I usually reduce the amount of oil used and increase the garlic

The best Rabe is quickly sauteed in very little olive oil first to bring out all the color. Then add 2 tablespoons of water for a 2 minutes and cover. Do not overcook, watch it. At the end add a couple pinches of sugar to counter act the bitterness of the Rabe and a little salt, pepper, and vinegar....delicious.

Silly me! I don't know what "rabe" is. I'm not even sure we have it in TN?? :-)....so I just used regular fresh broccoli. It was DELICIOUS!! My favorite green vege dish! I didn't even use the parm cheese...it doesn't need it.

Love it. I have had a package of it in fridge for 2 weeks and didn't know how to cook it. I did it exactly as you indicated and it was delicious!

Excellent--boiling it first honestly does take away the bitterness! Great recipe! Thank you!

Always boil....but try this try using chicken or vegtable broth about a cup add to water to boil. flavor is great....

Hubby loved this. The kids and I liked it, but rappini is a bit too bitter for us. I didn't want to overcook it, so I only boiled it for about 3-4 minutes until crisp tender, then finished it in the fry pan. Maybe that's why it was a little bitter. I think I prefer regular broccoli to broccoli rabe - but it's all just personal preference. Still a good recipe.

I always wanted to try broccoli rabe but wasn't sure how to make it until this recipe! I've made this twice so far and we love it! I use a shredded 4 cheese from tops (Parm, Romano, Asiago & Fontina) to top off this great side dish. I will definitely make this again :>)

This is the first time I cooked broccoli rabe and I wanted a very simple and easy to follow recipe. I truly enjoyed the dish and will definately cook it for my family again. I boiled the rabe. Good move

Very good. I did cut down the oil somewhat as a personal preference. One benefit to this cooking method, I was able to simmer the vegetable in an early stage of preparing a meal, shock it in cold water to stop the cooking, then hold it while I prepared other items, and sautee it just before service. Having read other reviews, I do have a few tips. Broccoli Rabe aka rapini is located with other cooking greens at my grocer, not with the broccoli and cauliflower. Look for perky leaves and few florets. Florets should not be yellowing. Also, bitterness compliments richness... I served this side dish along homemade fettucine alfredo.

I didn't boil the Broccoli Rabe before adding it to the garlic and olive oil. I just simmered the whole concoction for about 15/20 minutes. AMAZING!

Wow!! :D didn't have parmesan. Still great. Used like 3 garlic cloves. You could cut the oil down to 3 tbsp. Could be awesome with a bit of soya sauce or balsalmic vinegar thrown in after the garlic.

I absolutely love this recipe! I made it last night and have been thinking about it all day today (yes, crazy)....I am now going to make this recipe AGAIN tonight! Thanks!

Nice....my mother also told me to make an X in each end before cooking...I also steamed mine instead of boiling....sprinkled mine with red hot pepper flakes....yummy and healthy....thanks!

My grandparents and parents made this as well. They (grandparents) came here from Italy. Trim the stem and pull leaves apart or break into large pieces. Wash thoroughly. Soften the garlic in olive oil in a stock pot. Then alternate layers of the greens, salt & pepper in the pot. Stir until they are all covered in garlic and olive oil. Add enough water to just cover the greens and simmer. Depending on how well done you like it-crisp tender or soft cook 15-30 minutes. A variation for flavor would be to brown some bacon in the pot first, keep about 1TBs of grease, add a little olive oil, sautee the garlic then add the greens. You also can make it 'soupier' adding more water, or by adding a can of Cannelini beans with the juice of the beans for flavor. Top with grated parm.. Mangia!

Wonderful recipe! My only addition was a little sea salt.

I love this recipe and I add a pinch of red pepper to the olive oil and garlic that gives this a little kick!

DO NOT BOIL omg. It came out like this green paste...green mush. Broccoli rabe should be simply sautéed with garlic and oil stovetop. The poster below is right to say skip the boiling.

Made as described and loved it!

My husband and i loved it. I made a small batch thinking it might not go over well but we loved it. Also added some sliced mushrooms and more like 3 cloves garlic. Dee-lish!

This was very good. I only used approx. 2 tbsp of oil though. I think 5 would be too much. Thanks for sharing! :)

awesome stuff!

This is EXACTLY how broccoli rabe should come out, not bitter, tender and with a hint of garlic. It is also an excellent base, you can add many things to this to make it a meal initself. I love to add sweet italian sausage, white wine, and chicken broth. Of course its fantastic as a sidedish too. Toss with your favorite pasta (I prefer large shells) and you have a hearty pasta dish! The only change I would make is add more garlic! This is the only way I will EVER cook broccoli rabe! Thanks!

Fantastic! I added some hot chile flakes to it, as other reviewers have recommended. What a great way to get our greens in! Thanks!

I couldn't find rabe so I made with regular broccoli, and I also used about 1/4 c. parmesan, this was a good way to do broccoli, will make again. I also topped with more parmesean on the plates.

delicious!

Add some crushed red pepper, about 1/4 tsp for my taste, and you're in the money! Also, I have alternated using chicken broth instead of oil at times and it is very delicious too.

I husband always wanted to try broccoli rabe, so I'm glad that I came across this recipe. It was delicious, but the kids were not so amused, they refuse to try it.

I made it as is and then taste tested...it was a little bland. I added 2 tbs. of italian bread crumbs, a dash of red pepper flakes, dash of seasoning salt, and a dash of italian seasoning. It was so good I had to have a small appetizer bowl for myself while I was cooking and throw in another batch for my family as I knew it for sure wouldn't be enough :)

OK for one more to try I double the broccoli use whole bulb of garlic [I love garlic] Took off only extra large stems [only because I never tried before] placed broccoli rabe in water only until bright green saute' garlic in oil cooked it until also tender. It was amazing and not bitter ,very few flowers in them. I was suppose to freeze some but never made it finished it all

This was delicious. It would have been a 5 starer except my kids aren't accustomed to it yet. I only used about 1/2 T oil.

This was the first time I tried making Broccoli Rabe, and it was delicious. All my guests were raving! Thank you!

This was my first time both cooking and eating broccoli rabe. It was too bitter for me, but my boyfriend said he didn't mind the bitterness. Overall, not too bad, but maybe next time I'll try boiling it longer.

This is my first time making Broccoli Rabe. It was just delicious. The recipe is easy to follow and was fantastic!!!

I followed the recipe exactly as written and we still found it to be very bitter. I had rapini a while back in an Italian restaurant and don't remember it tasting bitter at all. Maybe I'll try boiling it for longer than 5 minutes next time.

This is just what I was looking for. The only change I made was to sprinkle some balsamic vinegar on top once everything was done cooking.

I agree with Cheereo. My whole family has always loved broccoli rabe, but I couldn't get past the bitter taste of it. This recipe takes the bitterness out of it and we now have it 2 or 3 times a week. Thanks for the recipe.

I boiled in chicken broth instead of water, then prepared as recipe states, and it came out very good! Definitely a good "go-to" method for broccolini, and more than likely for any other bitter green too!

I too have made this recipe for many years. The only difference is I peel the stems. It is time consuming, but the rend result is that you can eat the stems as they are soft. I learned that from Julia Childs many years ago to peel regular broccoli so that the large stems can be cooked and are soft and are really tasty.

Delicious Maria! Changed not a thing and the whole family gobbled it down!

I think a quick blanching at a rolling boil for 3 mins. is sufficent to not overcook the rappini. For an asian variation on this dish stir fry as directed and toss lightly with Oyster sauce. Delicious!

This was excellent. Never ate broccoli rabe before and my husband and I gobbled up the whole pound! I used much less oil (2 Tbs) and two cloves of minced garlic. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for introducing me to a new vegetable.

this was very mushy and didn't have any taste. I followed the directions exactly and was not impressed. I was so hoping to have a delicious and healthy side dish.

I steamed it in the microwave for 4 minutes and then did the rest of the recipe...it was great!

Can't mess it up, so good.

This was really good. My two-year old loved it.

Delicious. I omitted the cheese and used 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and increased the garlic to 3 cloves.

i overcooked the broccoli rabe, but it was still very tasty. i liked it and will make again.

I cooked in a pressure cooker first for approximately 2 minutes, then followed directions for cooking in oil. Yummy!!

Very good, but too oily. I decreased the oil, increased the garlic, and added red bell pepper for both flavor and color. Loved that addition. I'd give this after my tweaking to my taste a 5 star. The cooking method worked great for me, no bitterness. This will be a regular side.

Good. I would give it higher ratings, but I had to substitute the main ingredient (the broccoli rabe) with spinach, since my grocer did not carry the broccoli rabe.

This turned out great! I followed some of the recommendations and only boiled it for 3 minutes. I also added a bit more garlic as well as some salt. My whole family loved it, including the picky seven year old. Our eight year old even asked for seconds! We will definitely make this again.

Loved it! Added more garlic & crushed red pepper...hubby loved it, too!

This was great! We only added 1 tbs of oil though. We put it on pasta with sautéed sausages and parmesan cheese.

The best tasting boccolli I have ever made. Full of favor.

This is a good simple method for sauteing broccoli rabe. I don't particularly like parm on mine, but the amount of garlic and olive oil is perfect.

I liked this recipe a lot, but there was still a little bitterness to it. The flavor is great even with the bitterness.

Great recipe. Next time I will cut off a bit more of the "tough" part at the bottom -- a few bites were too hard and stringy.

This my first attempt at broccoli rabe, but certainly not the last. I did find mine a little tough to chew, but I think that made us get full faster which is a good thing. I skipped on the parmesan cheese and tossed it with stir-fried chicken and served it over rice. Very yummy!

I followed this recipe without making any changes and really liked it!! This recipe will now substitute my own Broccoli Rabe version. I found the garlic and the parmesan cheese to give it a nice kick.

I like this recipe because it's basic and delicious. I had never even heard of broccoli rabe (rapini)until my best friend served it to me at dinner a few years ago using this same recipe. I became a fan.

Loved it!! So health and so good! Sautéed some onion and added that in too!

Made this with regular broccoli (because we can't get many veggies here) and it was excellent. Increased the garlic, decreased the oil. Thanks!

I probably make this once a week and sometimes I serve it over fresh pasta. I always add chili peppers and salt (but I like my rapini on the salty side). It is absolutely delicious. On the topic of boiling it first...I have done it both ways and much prefer NOT to boil the rapini first. I find if it is boiled it takes on a completely different (less favourable) flavour. I never have trouble with the stems being tough because I cook it in the oil for a good amount of time (approximately 10 minutes.

Super yummilicious!!

It was okay but I think the site has other recipes just as easy but with a bit more flavor.