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    Home » Side Dishes

    How to Cook Broccoli Rabe

    Nov 27, 2018 · 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    If you’ve ever wondered how to cook broccoli rabe, this is for you. Serve this flavorful—and bitter—vegetable as a dish, in pasta, or on sandwiches. It loves strong flavors like garlic, sausage, and red pepper.

    Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with garlic and red pepper flakes in a white bowl.

    What is Broccoli Rabe?

    It’s not broccoli, let’s start there. If you think of it as a leafy green, instead of broccoli, you’ll quickly understand it. You know how kale and collard greens have a bitter bite but are wonderful? Same goes for broccoli rabe. It’s a flavorful vegetable that’s great sautéed and served as a side dish or added to pasta and sandwiches.

    How Do You Cook Broccoli Rabe?

    My preferred method of cooking broccoli rabe is to first blanch it in salted water. After blanching, drain the broccoli rabe, and then sauté in olive oil with a generous amount of garlic. Add red pepper flakes if you like. Season with salt to taste. It sounds odd but broccoli rabe tastes best a little overcooked. Cook it until it’s really soft and tender. (Not mushy, of course.)

    When is Broccoli Rabe in Season?

    Broccoli rabe is a cold-weather vegetable. Look for it through from the fall through the early spring. For me, it’s not Christmas dinner without a platter of broccoli rabe. 

    What Does Broccoli Rabe Taste Like?

    Bitter. Sharp. Bright. Is what I think of when I imagine broccoli rabe. The bitterness is what makes it awesome. It pairs nicely with rich meats, like pork and sausage. And it loves garlic. It’s one of the more flavorful greens on the market.

    How Do You Pronounce Rabe?

    Simple: it’s pronounced like the name “Rob.”

    Where Do I Buy Broccoli Rabe?

    You can purchase broccoli rabe at most grocery stores and farmers’ markets. It’s often displayed along with hearty greens, like chard and kale. It’s not usually displayed with traditional broccoli.

    What is the Difference Between Broccoli and Broccoli Rabe?

    Everything. Broccoli has thick stalks that are topped with large florets. It tends to be mildly bitter—although some broccoli, especially frozen broccoli, can be bland.

    Broccoli rabe is a leafy vegetable with thin stalks and a few buds here and there. Those buds tend to resemble broccoli but, all in all, they don’t really taste like broccoli.

    Is Broccoli Rabe the Same as Broccolini?

    Nope. Broccolini is its own thing. It’s a hybrid vegetable that’s a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli.

    What Can I Substitute for Broccoli Rabe?

    I’m going to answer your question with a question: Why do you want to substitute it? If it’s because you can’t find broccoli rabe, then I’d replace it with another bitter green, like kale, mustard greens, or collard greens.

    If you dislike the bitter flavor of broccoli rabe, then replace it with spinach.

    How Do You Get the Bitterness Out of Broccoli Rabe?

    You don’t. You can balance the bitterness by cooking it with lemon (sounds weird but the lemon tends to mellow out the bitterness in the broccoli rabe) or cream.

    The best way to reduce the bitterness is simply to cook broccoli rabe for a while. Like collards or turnip greens, it’s almost impossible to overcook broccoli rabe. The longer the cooking time, the more mellow the flavor.

    How Do You Clean Broccoli Rabe?

    Run it under cool water and move the stalks apart to remove any dirt. Place the broccoli rabe on a cutting board and trim off about 1/4 to 1/2 off the stem.

    What Can I Serve with Broccoli Rabe?

    • Pasta. Add it to bucatini pasta with red sauce.
    • Polenta. Make some Instant Pot Polenta. Top with white beans or sausage (or both.) and a simple red sauce.
    • Pork Tenderloin. Make a pork tenderloin. Serve with broccoli rabe and crusty bread. So good.
    Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with garlic and red pepper flakes in a white bowl.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print

    How to Cook Broccoli Rabe

    Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic. 

    Servings 4 people

    Ingredients

    • Kosher salt
    • 1 pound broccoli rabe, washed washed
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • 3 cloves garlic, sliced, minced or put through a garlic press
    • pinch red pepper flakes, optional

    Instructions

    1. Bring a large pot water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, trim about 1/4 inch off the bottom of the stalks. When the water reaches a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt. Add broccoli rabe. Stir. Cook until stalks are tender, about three to four minutes. Drain. Set aside.

    2. Heat olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat in a large (10-inch skillet) until garlic begins to turn a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir to keep the garlic from sticking together in a clump. Add red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe to skillet. Toss to coat the broccoli rabe with oil. Reduce heat to medium. You don’t want it to scorch. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rabe is very tender, about 15 minutes. At this point, it might appear overcooked. This is what you want. Broccoli rabe tastes better slightly overcooked.

    3. Season with salt and serve.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. HATTIE HARRIS SHIPP says

      October 23, 2019 at 12:57 pm

      Do you leave the leaves on?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        October 23, 2019 at 1:13 pm

        Yes! The leaves are left on. No need to remove them before cooking.

        Reply
    2. Starbrite says

      February 26, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      Don’t forget to add black pepper.

      Reply
    3. Jerry DiBello says

      March 31, 2020 at 8:08 pm

      5 stars
      It does help with the bitterness. Thanks. Tasty alone or in a sandwich.

      Reply
    4. Frederick Jackson says

      April 19, 2020 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      The simpler the better..growing up with several Italian neighbors i learned early to love rabe. or as known then…rapini…i finish the dish with pasta and sun-dried tomatoes…always look forward to this time of year,looking for the rapini to appear.

      Reply
    5. Nancy says

      June 01, 2020 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      I love Broccoli Rabe! I recently started adding some Broccoli Rabe and Shredded Mozzarella cheese to scrambled eggs.
      Make sure to cut the pre cooked Broccoli Rabe into bite size pieces and place into the frying pan with butter. Once it gets warm add eggs and shredded mozzarella. Cook till the eggs are done on one side. Fold over and flip it turn off the heat. Leave in pan for about 1 minute. Enjoy!
      You can add sun dried tomatoes or red peppers if you like. Tastes delicious! (The onions are already sautéed with the Broccoli Rabe.)

      Reply
    6. Frank Sciarra says

      November 20, 2020 at 8:11 am

      My Mother & Father were from Abruzzi, Italy, the best cooks in Italy….we used to pick the
      wild brocclli in open fields for many, many years until development built homes and commercial buildings resulting in no more open fields. Now here’s the real recipe.
      We wash and trim each and every small stalk. Most people do not have the patients.
      Boil a large pot of salted water. At the top of the boil, throw in the Broccalli d’ Rabe.
      Only cook for 1 or 1 and 1/2 minutes…..absolutely not more than 2 minutes, drain
      and spread in a large serving plate. Cut a lot of garlic and place in a large skillet
      with enough olive oil, not too much and add salt & pepper along with a hot pepper.
      Stir constantly until the garlic start to turn a golden color. Pour over the broccalli and
      mix well. Add lemon slices and serve. You can also mix the Brocalli into a pot of
      cooked spaghetti. Or serve with cooked sausage.How about Leg of Lamb. Mmmmmm.
      Salute ‘e buon appetite….Ciao. Frank

      Reply
    7. Alba Wendling says

      February 04, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      Hi, Both my Parents were born in Italy. My Dad from Abruzzi…Ortona Di Marci. My Mom from Terrichina, Rome . I just made some Broccali Rabe.
      The only thing different, I sauté in olive oil garlic together. I just had a sandwich… so good!

      Reply
    8. Barbara Wilkes Delnero says

      March 08, 2021 at 3:15 pm

      5 stars
      Hubby’s paternal Grandfather was from Abruzzi who came to Scotch Plains, NJ, a “sister” city, @ the age of 17 with one of his younger brothers. A favorite family meal taught to me by my f-i-l was sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic and sausage, sometimes served as a side dish, and sometimes topping home-made pasta which he also taught me how to make without a machine; just my hands and a rolling pin!

      Reply

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    Elizabeth Barbone

    Elizabeth Barbone is the founder and recipe developer behind Cook Fast, Eat Well. A food writer for over 15 years, she's built a reputation for creating easy recipes that work.

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