Michelina Pagano

Welcome to another addition of Tasty Tuesday.

For this week’s contribution, I am sharing a recipe for one of my favorite vegetables; Broccoli Rabe (it’s also called Rapini).

Broccoli Rabe is an acquired taste as it has a slightly bitter flavor, but the way I make it, even people who shy away from this nutritionally packed vegetable will learn to love it.

It can be served as a side dish or tossed in with sausage and pasta as an entrée.

Any time I make Broccoli Rabe I think of my good friend, Michelina Pagano, as we both share our love for this vegetable and when I visited her in New York City, we were so excited to see it on a menu when we had dinner at a restaurant in Manhattan.

I hope you give this recipe a try, trust me, you’ll get to love it as much as I do.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds broccoli rabe, stem ends trimmed, chopped
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, (roasted garlic or raw garlic chopped, your choice)
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, (optional and more if you like spicy food)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
2. Add broccoli rabe and cook for about 3 to 6 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Drain well.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
5. Add garlic, and (if you are using crushed red pepper then add this as well)
6. Stir for about 2 minutes or until the garlic is a light brown.
7. Add the broccoli rabe, toss to coat,
8. Cook and keep stirring for 3 – 4 minutes.
9. Toss in the pine nuts and stir everything together
10. Cook for another 2 minutes, tossing.
11. Season with salt and pepper to taste.