Greens Never Tasted So Good
Sautéed broccoli rabe with garlic and pine nuts is my favorite side dish. I could eat the whole plate! Maybe it’s my Italian heritage but I just love broccoli rabe! When we would celebrate Christmas eve with my family at my sister’s house we would have a large, beautiful, delicious Italian meal. As a side dish she would make a big pan of sautéed broccoli rabe. I couldn’t wait to take my serving of it as it was passed around.
Gotta Have Garlic and EVOO with Your Broccoli Rabe
Gina (named after Gina Lollobrigida) would boil the broccoli rabe in salted water and then sauté it in some olive oil with lots of garlic. The reason for boiling it first? Broccoli rabe also known as Rapini is a member of the mustard family. It is a cruciferous vegetable with an earthy bitter taste. Not all people like the bitterness of it so boiling helps to remove it.
Got Salt?
When I was teaching cooking classes my students would always be a bit freaked out by how much salt that I added to the water. But as any good Italian knows, if you don’t salt the water it would be an insult to the pasta. This also goes for broccoli rabe. You want the water to taste like sea water. Salty, but not too salty. Most of it gets thrown out with the water when you drain it anyway so fear not.
Submerge That Broccoli Rabe
You want to make sure to get all of the florets submerged so that they cook and become debitterized. Did I just make up a new word? LOL Also be sure to stir it once in a while. It only takes about five minutes for them to become tender so keep an eye on them.
Keep An Eye or Two on The Garlic
The absolute last thing that you want is burnt garlic! You took the bitterness out of the broccoli rabe, why would you want to add any back in? If you are feeling courageous add a good pinch of red pepper flakes. They will add a nice layer of heat to your sautéed broccoli rabe with garlic and pine nuts.
Time to Sauté The Broccoli Rabe
You are almost there! Add the broccoli rabe to the pan with the beautiful golden garlic chips and red pepper flakes (if you decided to kick it up). The smell coming from your kitchen will be amazing. Just heat the broccoli rabe through and you will be ready to plate it up.
Can The Broccoli Rabe Get Any Better?
Yes it can! Some good quality olive oil drizzled over the top along with some toasted pine nuts and now you have a dish to die for, or rather live for! This was one of the things that helped me break my five day fast and boy was I thankful! A real flavor punch after having water all of those days.
Looking for another healthy side? Try Summer Squash with Marjoram!
Bon Appétit!
PrintSautéed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Pine Nuts
Broccoli Rabe is a great accompaniment to any meal. Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with garlic and pine nuts is fire! And it’s vegan friendly!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Vegetable Side Dish
- Method: Boil and Sauté
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
1 Bunch of Fresh Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Kosher salt or to taste
2 Tbsp. Avocado oil
2 Large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into thin chips
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Lightly toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Clean the broccoli rabe under running water.
- Bring a 6 quart pot of water to a boil then season with the Kosher salt.
- Drop in the broccoli rabe and make sure that the florets are submerged. Cook for five minutes or until tender when the stalks are pierced with the tip of a knife.
- Drain the broccoli rabe in a colander.
- In a 10″ sauté pan bring the avocado oil to a shimmer. Lower the heat and add in the garlic chips. Cook stirring constantly until golden in color.
- Add the red pepper flakes to the sauté pan if using. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Take the drained broccoli rabe and add it to the sauté pan. Toss with the garlic and red pepper flakes cooking it until heated through.
- Transfer the sautéed broccoli rabe to a serving plate.
- Drizzle over the extra-virgin olive oil and top with the toasted pine nuts.
Notes
Be sure not to over cook the garlic chips. They should be lightly golden.
