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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To Store Rapini: this is a fresh cooking green: keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge, and use it within 3-5 days max. of it's harvest date.

I like to cook it up like I do most cooking greens, sautéed with olive oil and S & P, perhaps some chile flakes. I might also chop it up in ribbons and add to a lentil soup.

Rapini makes a great stuffing for hot sandwiches. Sauté a couple of chopped handfuls per sandwich in olive oil with chopped garlic and, two or three mashed anchovies (really delicious, but can be omitted). Tuck between bread slices with mozzarella or goat cheese, roasted red pepper, thin slices of salami and grill like a grilled cheese sandwich. Or tuck into a soft roll, wrap in foil and warm in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.

Roast Chicken with Rapini, Fennel, Olives, Pine Nuts from Chef Jonathan Miller

I love roast chicken, and almost anything tastes good with it. In this dish, I cut out roasting an entire bird in favor of a quick, weeknight preparation. If you have the time to roast a whole chicken, it is delicious with the same accompanying vegetables. Be sure to have a few slices of bread around to mop up any liquid remaining. Be sure to use a large, oven-proof skillet for this dish. It's a more efficient way of cooking this dish, and is also thick enough to hold up to the high heat here.

4 whole chicken legs, bone-in, skin on
2 bunches rapini, chopped
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T pine nuts
1/2 c green olives, pitted and very roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 450. Heat a large (12 inch), heavy skillet (I use cast iron here) on the stovetop until very hot. Season the chicken legs all over with salt and a little bit of pepper.

Add a little olive oil to the skillet and then sear the chicken legs, outside side down, until deeply golden, about 6-10 minutes depending on how hot your burner is and how thick your skillet is. Flip the legs over, toss in the sliced fennel all around, and transfer immediately to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove, put the legs on a sheet pan and cover loosely with foil while you finish the dish.

Put the pine nuts and olives in a very small skillet and put into the oven (that has been turned off) and allow to sit in the residual heat from the oven until you are done with the dish.

If there is more than 2T of chicken fat left in the skillet, pour off the excess. Heat the skillet with the fennel still in it, then add the rapini, stirring well. Wilt for a few minutes, then add a little salt and the garlic cloves. Cook until the rapini is as soft as you like it. Taste for seasoning. Remove to a serving plate. Top with the pine nut/olive mixture, then the chicken legs. If there is any juice left in the skillet at all, pour it over the dish now. Serve warm.

Rapini with Carmelized Onions
Adapted from Pasta e Verdura by Jack Bishop

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion or 2or 3 small medium (about 1 lb.), thinly sliced
1 bunch Rapini
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 in a medium saucepan. Roughly chop the greens and stem of the rapini 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 rapini, S & P and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rapini 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 rapini sauce. Mix well and transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Drizzle each bowl with olive oil to taste and serve immediately.

Smothered Rapini
Adapted from 366 Healthful Ways to Cook Leafy Greens by Linda Romanelli

This is a great recipe for those that aren't doing so much pasta. It can be served as a side dish.

1 TBS olive oil
4 large garlic cloves
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 ½ pounds rapini, trimmed and coarsely chopped
½ tsp. salt

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add the garlic and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes until the garlic is golden. Carefully add the greens and salt to the pot; cover and cook 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

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

Rapini Recipe: Rapini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts
adapted from Squawk Fox

1 bunch rapini, about 1 lb or 500 g
3 tbsp (50 mL) olive oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) toasted pine nuts
3 tbsp (50 mL) chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt or to taste

Remove about 1/4 inch from base of rapini stalks. In dutch oven or other large pot of boiling salted water, cover and cook rapini until tender, about 2-4 minutes. Drain and gently dry. In same pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Toast pine nuts over low heat until light brown, about 4 minutes. Add cooked rapini and sun-dried tomatoes and heat. Serve over rice, with a protein 'main' such as a piece of fish or chicken, and or with the classic and obvious pasta. Makes 4 servings.

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.

Rapini with Orechetti Pasta and Sausage

1 bunch 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 rapini 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 al dente 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 rapini 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!

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

Rapini, 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 rapini, 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 rapini (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 rapini (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.

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

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