Sautéed Rapini (Broccoli Rabe) (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook rapini so it is not bitter? ›

Blanching is key to making rapini/broccoli rabe less bitter. You can blanch it in a pot of boiling water for 60 to 90 seconds or steam it with a little water for a few minutes in a covered skillet before sauteeing. Both methods work well, but I prefer to boil it first.

Reduce your disease risk. Broccoli rabe offers a powerful dose of fiber, vitamins and minerals including antioxidants and phytochemicals which have been shown to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and may help reduce the risk of cancer.

Broccoli rabe — also known as rapini — isn't just part of the broccoli plant, and it's not just baby broccoli. In fact, the leafy, cruciferous vegetable is closely related to the turnip.

This is also the case for broccoli rabe. Most recipes that use it jump through hoops to tame the green, blanching and shocking it to quell the compound responsible for the bitterness before cooking it. But a dunk in hot water eliminates the vegetable's bitterness almost entirely, stripping it of its unique character.

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.

A New York Italian friend of mine told me to parboil it first. That will take the bitterness out. Just dunk in boiling water for a couple of minutes. If you are worried about crispness you can plunge it in ice water after parboiling it.

Stir-frying and stir-frying/boiling, the two most popular methods for most homemade dishes in China, cause great losses of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, vitamin C, and glucosinolates, but the steaming method appears the best in retention of the nutrients in cooking broccoli.

Natural food sources of fiber, like broccoli rabe, fill gut volume leading to decreased hunger and need for more calorically dense foods. Broccoli rabe contains high levels of antioxidants.

Broccoli rabe can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. Broccoli rabe has lutein, which works to protect the retinas from damaging free radicals.

Rapini or broccoli rabe (/rɑːb/) is a green cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli, but do not form a large head.

Do you remove the leaves from broccoli rabe? ›

The stalks, leaves, and blossoms of the plant are all edible—you'll just want to trim off the base of the stem, as it can be woody. If you end up with thick-stemmed broccoli rabe despite your best efforts otherwise, simply shave or peel a bit of the stem like you would with beefy asparagus stalks.

Broccoli di rapa, cime di rapa and Rapini are different names that indicate the same goodness; what varies is only the territorial declension of the name Rapini, which is typically Campania. They are the green, non-flowering part of the turnip, the so-called tops.

Here are the main steps for how to cook this rapini italian style recipe: Gather all ingredients. Rinse the broccoli rabe in cold water and drain. Prep the broccoli rabe by separating the thick, fibrous stems from the more tender leaves and florets.

The easiest way to rid broccoli rabe of some of its bitter flavor is by blanching it first. Just a quick dip in boiling water extracts enough of the bitterness and jumpstarts the cooking.

The stalks of broccoli rabe can be tough if not cooked properly. Many places I've eaten at prepare this dish lightly sautéed so the broccoli rabe has a tender crunch to it. In my mother's kitchen, that's considered raw. If she wanted a crunchy vegetable she would order a salad.

Squeeze in some vinegar or lemon juice.

Try squeezing some fresh lemon juice or adding a spoonful of vinegar to bitter dishes to neutralize the flavor a bit.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.