Broccoli Raab Recipe

Try this slender cousin to the hefty broccoli with this Broccoli Raab with Fusilli recipe.

Broccoli raab has many names: rape, rapini, or in Italian, brocoletti di rape, and even another spelling: broccoli rabe. But, however you slice it, or spell it, this dark green vegetable, with its slender stalks and petite buds, is as versatile as it is tasty.

A relative of both the turnip and the cabbage, broccoli raab has a bitter, pungent flavor. Most American palates prefer the thicker stalked but milder flavor of regular broccoli. However, rapini is common in Italian cuisine, most frequently paired with the little ear shaped pasta called orecchiette. It is also very tasty when sautéed and tossed with spicy Italian sausage and a little crushed red pepper.

The Culinary Experts’ Take

Chef Jody Adams of the well-loved Rialto restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and author of In the Hands of Chef, offers a recipe for an unbelievable lasagna that pairs broccoli raab with brandade, a traditional Italian puree of salt cod, cream, and potato.

Boston’s sister city San Francisco is home to another deeply admired female chef, Judy Rodgers and her Zuni Café. In her Zuni Café Cookbook, Rodgers has a more simple approach to broccoli raab: she tosses it with a little mild olive oil and salt then grills it and serves it on a platter of other delicious grilled vegetables, including radicchio and artichokes.

The great James Beard, friend and cooking buddy of Julia Child, and holder of the title “the dean of American cookery,” must have loved broccoli raab; his cookbook The New James Beard has several recipes for it. The simplest—but no less satisfying—simply calls for steaming the vegetable until tender and then tossing it with garlic sautéed in olive oil and sprinkling the whole thing with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Broccoli Raab with Fusilli

• 1 lb of broccoli raab, cleaned, ends trimmed, and cut into thirds
• 1 lb of dry fusilli pasta
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Juice from ½ lemon
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth, warmed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Shaved parmesan cheese
• High quality extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain and reserve about a cup of the pasta water
2. Warm the 2 TBS of olive oil in a sauté pan and add the garlic and onion
3. Cook until the onion is tender; do not burn the garlic
4. Add the broccoli raab and sauté until tender, then remove and set aside
5. Pour wine into sauté pan and reduce to ¼ cup
6. Add warm broth and lemon, bring to boil then simmer until it begins to thicken
7. Return broccoli raab to pan and add the cooked pasta
8. Toss all together
9. If the mixture is dry, add a small amount of the pasta water until desired consistency
10. Transfer to a warm bowl and topped with shaved cheese
11. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top and serve immediately
12. Enjoy!

Now's the time for broccoli raab.

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