This Broccoli Rabe Recipe is elevated thanks to savory garlic and spicy crushed red pepper flakes. It's so easy to make — it's a great option for a healthy Italian-inspired side dish! And perhaps more importantly, sautéed broccoli rabe is super delicious and flavorful!
Course dinner, Lunch, Side Dish, Vegetarian
Cuisine Family, Healthy, Italian, side dish, Vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
2-3bunches of broccoli rabe cleaned and trimmed of stalks
Olive oil
3-4peeled garlic clovesor garlic powder or both!
Crushed red pepper
Salt
Instructions
Heat the oil in your pan over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and some crushed red pepper and saute for a few minutes until the garlic is golden (keep an eye on it because burned garlic ruins the dish).
Add the broccoli rabe to the pan along with some salt and garlic powder and a couple spoonfuls of water.
Stir periodically until the broccoli rabe cooks down, around 10 minutes.
Once it's cooked down a bit taste it and added additional salt and crushed red pepper as needed.
Enjoy!
Notes
Don't be afraid to customize. I love broccoli rabe with garlic and crushed pepper flakes, but you can feel free to add your favorite spices and seasonings! I love the idea of adding some citrus juice or even a drizzle of balsamic on top.
Use high heat and a wide pan. Cooking broccoli rabe over medium-high heat in a large enough skillet or sauté pan makes all the difference! Both allow for quick cooking and caramelization which will help mellow out that bitter taste.
Don't overcrowd the pan. Along the same lines as using a large enough pan when cooking broccoli rabe, don't be tempted to overload the skillet. Sauté in batches if you have to! Overcrowding can cause the greens to steam rather than sauté, resulting in a less flavorful and slightly mushy texture.
Prep ahead- You can peel the garlic and clean and trim the greens in advance.
Leftovers and storage- This will last up to a week covered in the refrigerator.
Variation: You can also boil the broccoli rabe for a couple minutes before adding it to the pan. If you do this, you'll scoop it directly from the pot into the pan so that some of the water comes with it- if you do it this way, you won't need to add any additional water. But make sure you're extra careful when you add the broccoli rabe because if the oil is super hot and you add the soaked broccoli rabe it will cause the oil to splash up. So take the pan off the heat for a couple minutes before you add it.