RAPINI (broccoli raab) RECIPES

Rapini. It's official name is Brassica rapa (ruvo group) cultivar spring raab.

rapini blossom with a bee

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How to Store Rapini: Like any tender green, refrigerate as soon as possible in a bag... keep slightly moist by rinsing with water, wash right before using. Try to eat within 2-4 days.

RAPINI: also called raab, broccoli rabe, cime de rape, rape and brocoletti. It's a form of turnip green.

Rapini & Garbanzo Pita Pizzas

2 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
a 19-ounce can garbanzos, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1 pound rapini tips, rinsed and roughly chopped, eat the leaves and tender stems!
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
three 6-inch whole wheat or other pita breads, halved horizontally to form 6 rounds
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large heavy skillet cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Transfer garlic and 1 tablespoon oil to a food processor. Add chick-peas, 1/4 cup water, and salt and pepper to taste and blend mixture until smooth.

Heat oil remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook
rapini until wilted. Add remaining 1/4 cup water and pepper flakes and simmer, covered partially, until the greens are crisp-tender and almost all liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Spread rough sides of pita with chick-pea purée and top with rapini and Parmesan.

Arrange pita pizzas on a large baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until edges are golden.

Serves 6 as an entrée or 10 to 12 as an hors d'oeuvre.

adapted from Gourmet

Broccoli Rabe with Orechetti Pasta and Sausage

1 bunch Broccoli Raab/Rapini
1 Lb or so of your favorite sausage (no casings, or remove from casings), I use hot Italian
4 cloves garlic, or more if you wish
Orechetti Pasta (Italian for little ears) Penne and Farfalle work well too if you can not find.
1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken stock

Brown sausage in large skillet (best in bite size crumbles). While sausage is browning, clean Broccoli Rabe and remove only the thick tougher ends of stalks. Chop rabe into bite sized pieces. Drain sausage and set aside. Start your water for the pasta and cook according to directions for aldente pasta. In same large skillet as sausage sauté chopped garlic cloves in a bit of olive oil for a couple of minutes (do not clean pan as remaining fat from sausage will add more flavor). Add Broccoli Rabe and some chicken broth to pan and cook until greens have wilted. Add sausage and heat through. Toss with cooked pasta and enjoy. Watch the salt on this as some sausages will have a lot of it and could potentially make this dish to salty if more salt is added. Keep the salt added to pasta water to a minimum.
This dish also works well with vegetarian substitutions for a yummy vegan alternative, make sure to increase the olive oil accordingly… Yummy!

I found a one-page article about it in Cook's Illustrated (Jan/Feb 1999) that told me more about rapini than a shelf of vegetable cookbooks. Here's some thoughts and recipes from Anne Yamanaka who wrote the article:

After trying several ways of blanching the greens, she decided the best was boiling 1 bunch of rapini in 3 quarts of salted water. Here's the official recipe:

Blanched Rapini (Broccoli Raab)
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Using a salad spinner makes easy work of drying the cooled blanched rapini.

1 pound rapini (broccoli rabe), washed, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt

Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Stir in rapini greens and salt and cook until wilted and tender, about 2 1/2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cool empty saucepan by rinsing under cold running water. Fill cooled saucepan with cold water and submerge greens to stop the cooking process. Drain again; squeeze well to dry and proceed with one of the following recipes.

Rapini with garlic and red pepper flakes

2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 recipe blanched rapini greens (above)

Heat oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in medium skillet over medium heat until garlic begins to sizzle, about 3 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, add blanched rapini greens, and cook, stirring to coat with oil, until heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt, serve immediately.

Rapini with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Follow recipe for Rapini with Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes, adding 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips, along with garlic and red pepper flakes. Add 3 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts to skillet along with rapini greens.

Rapini with Asian Flavors

Mix 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar in small bowl; set aside. Follow recipe for Rapini with Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes, substituting vegetable oil for the olive oil and adding 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger along with garlic and red pepper flakes. Add reserved soy sauce mixture to skillet along with rapini.

What three other books had to say about rapini:

Broccoli raab is a leafy mustard green. It's leaves and buds have a mustardy bite much like turnip greens. -The Joy of Cooking

This is an unusual medium-sharp flavored green widely grown in Italy. It has edible stems and small bud clusters. -The Victory Garden Cookbook, Marian Morash

In Roman times this ‘sprouting broccoli' was very popular and considered a delicacy. A recipe from Apicus for broccoli raab:

Mince the leaves with coriander, onion, cumin, pepper and oil, then serve them with boiled leeks, olives or pine nuts, and raisins. -The Vegetable Book by Spencer

Broccoli Rabe, White Bean & Fontina Pasta
adapted from  Eatingwell.com Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

8 ounces whole-wheat shells, fusilli or chiocciole
1 large bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
2/3 cup Toasted Breadcrumbs, optional (see Tip)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, according to package directions. Stir in broccoli rabe (or spinach) during the last 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Dry the pot.

2. Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Heat oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Add beans, vinegar, salt and pepper and the pasta and broccoli rabe (or spinach). Cook, stirring, until the mixture is heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat; add cheese, stirring until it melts. Serve immediately, topped with Toasted Breadcrumbs, if using.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Per serving: 444 calories; 13g fat (4g sat, 7g mono); 16mg cholesterol; 70g carbohydrates; 23g protein; 13g fiber; 750mg sodium; 441mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (170% daily value), Vitamin A (150% dv), Iron (25% dv), Calcium (20% dv).

Tip: To make toasted breadcrumbs, trim the crusts from 2 slices of whole-wheat sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor into coarse crumbs. Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.

Rapini with Spaghettini
The Victory Garden Cookbook, Marian Morash

1 bunch broccoli raab
1 sweet bell pepper (optional), thinly sliced
1/2 lb. spaghettini
1tbsp. chopped garlic
6 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups water or chicken stock
2 tbsp. butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese

Wash and peel broccoli raab, and cut into 2‑3 inch pieces; set aside. Break spaghettini into 2‑3‑inch pieces.  In a large saute pan, cook garlic in oil for 1 minute.  Add pepper slices, cook slightly, and stir in raab, spaghettini, and water or stock.  Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for approximately 10 minutes, adding additional water if necessary.  When broccoli raab is tender, and spaghetiini cooked, remove the cover, reduce any pan liquids, and stir in butter.  Season to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese.  Serves 4.

BROCCOLI RAAB W/CARMELIZED ONIONS
Pasta e Verdura, Jack Bishop

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion (about 1 lb.), thinly sliced
1 bunch broccoli raab
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. pasta (linguine or other long, thin shape)

Saute onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.  If the onions start to burn, lower the heat. They should be richly colored to bring out their sweetness.

Meanwhile, bring several quarts of water to a boil ina medium sauce pan.  Roughly chop the greens and stem and boil in the hot water and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Add the garlic to the pan with the onions and cook for 1 minute.  Add the broccoli raab, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli raab is tender, about 5 minutes.  Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary.

While preparing the sauce, cook and drain the pasta, making sure that some liquid still clings to the noodles.  Toss the hot pasta with the broccoli raab sauce.  Mix well and transfer portions to warm pasta bowls.  Drizzle each bowl with olive oil to taste and serve immediately.

PENNE WITH BROCCOLI RAAB, PINE NUTS, AND CURRANTS

Wash the broccoli raab well and separate the large stems and leaves. Bring several quarts of water to a boil. Blanch the large stems for about 1 1/2 minutes, until barely tender. Add tender stems and leaves and blanch 1 minute. Remove the greens to a colander to drain. Reserve cooking water. Salt the greens water and add the pasta. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and soften it. Stir the greens into the garlic oil and remove from heat. When the pasta is cooked al dente, add the currants, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes to the greens. Scoop the pasta from the water with a pasta scoop or sieve and transfer it to the pan of greens. Leave some water clinging to the pasta. Place the pan over high heat and toss the pasta with the greens. Add 1/4C or so of the greens/pasta water. Season to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 3-6

The Greens Cookbook

BROCCOLI RAAB PASTA

Put on a large pot of water to boil. In a skillet, coated with olive oil, heat the onion over high heat. When onion is browning in spots, add the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss briefly, then add the raab and a splash of water. Lower the heat and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Meanwhile cook pasta. Taste the raab and adjust the seasonings. Add a generous amount of olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Toss with the drained pasta and top with romano cheese.

Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters

BROCCOLI RABE AND CHICK-PEA PITA PIZZAS

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large heavy skillet cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Transfer garlic and 1 tablespoon oil to a food processor. Add chick-peas, 1/4 cup water, and salt and pepper to taste and blend mixture until smooth.

Heat oil remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook broccoli rabe, turning it with tongs, until wilted. Add remaining 1/4 cup water and pepper flakes and simmer, covered partially, until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender and almost all liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Spread rough sides of pita with chick-pea puree and top with broccoli rabe and Parmesan. Arrange pita pizzas on a large baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until edges are golden.  Serves 6 as an entre or 10 to 12 as an hors d'oeuvre.

Gourmet, December 1994

Broccoli Raab
James Peterson, Vegetables
Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli raab
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white or brown pale miso
1/4 cup mirin or 6 tsp sugar dissolved in 3 Tbsp hot water
1 teaspoon Asian dark sesame oil
2 teaspoons white sesame seeds

Cut the broccoli raab flowers and leaves away from the larger stems. Discard the stems. Rinse and drain the leaves and flowers in a colander. Bring about 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil with the salt. Boil the broccoli raab for five minutes, uncovered, over high heat, and drain in a colander. Immediately rinse the broccoli with cold water and pat it dry in towels or spin it in a lettuce spinner to get rid of excess water. In a mixing bowl large enough to hold the broccoli raab, work the miso, mirin and, and the sesame oil to a paste with a whisk. Just before serving, tossed the broccoli raab with the the paste. Arrange the broccoli on one large plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds or arrange it on individual plates and sprinkle each serving within the sesame seeds.

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