Broccoli Rabe – the unusual appeal of bitter

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Hi there,

Did you ever try something to eat and find the taste appalling and then return to it years later and find it very appealing? This is precisely what happened to me with Broccoli Rabe.

When I married into my Italian American family, broccoli rabe was a vegetable that made an appearance with regularity at meals served in my husband’s parent’s home. My mother in law was extremely fond of this vegetable. One time my mother in law, Linda, ate so much of it that she had to go to the hospital because of intense indigestion she suffered from the copious amount of broccoli rabe that she had eaten. (You can’t make this stuff up.)

I found the taste to be nasty and vile and pushed it around on my plate and made sure I jumped up to clear the table so I could dispose of it without being found out.

Fast forward 30 years and I am at a restaurant and broccoli rabe is being served. Darn, I thought, if that stuff doesn’t smell good. Since everything deserves a second taste, I put that brilliant emerald green vegetable into my mouth. And, wow, now I’m a believer. Now I even have my own favorite way to prepare it.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

What is food to one man is bitter poison to others. ” Lucretius

INGREDIENTS

  • Salt
  • 2 bunches of broccoli rabe, stalks trimmed and quartered crosswise
  • 12 ounces dried orecchiette pasta
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound spicy pork sausage, casings removed
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup or more freshly grated Parmesan cheese (one can never have enough cheese)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Strain the broccoli rabe, reserving all the cooking liquid. Set the broccoli rabe aside. Cook the orecchiette in the same pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is brown and juices form, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the pasta and enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Stir the Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, and pepper into the pasta mixture. Transfer to pasta bowls and serve.

Special note: If you are not on a low carb diet a can of cannelloni beans sautéed with the sausage is a lovely addition. Also, if you really detest rabe, replace it with broccolini or spinach. If you don’t have orecchiette in the pantry, any other small toothsome pasta will do such a penne. The pork sausage can be replaced with chicken sausage but make sure it is spicy chicken sausage and be a tad more generous with your crushed red pepper flakes.

Talk soon, ❤️💕Bernadette

30 responses to “Broccoli Rabe – the unusual appeal of bitter”

  1. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, chocolate, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. I cook from scratch, and try not to use anything that has ingredients I cannot pronounce! After many years of daily serving up local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most full-fat dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies, and I try to educated myself about our food sources! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
    Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

    Sounds wonderful! Love that you smartly reused the cooking water! I adore the bitter, and broccoli has always been one of my favorites.

      • Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, chocolate, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. I cook from scratch, and try not to use anything that has ingredients I cannot pronounce! After many years of daily serving up local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most full-fat dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies, and I try to educated myself about our food sources! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
        Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

        I will!

  2. Angie@Angie's Recipes – Angie's Recipes is an interactive blog dedicated to sharing yummy & creative recipes, helpful cooking hints and tips. Enjoy your visit and spread the word!
    Angie Schneider says:

    It sounds and looks wonderful! I actually enjoy the bitterness of vegetables..bitter gourd is my absolute summer favourite.
    angiesrecipes
    http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

  3. Chef Mimi – As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!
    chef mimi says:

    I just don’t love kale. Everything else green is wonderful to me. I just watched Joe Bastianich make a similar pasta with broccoli rabe, but no sausage. Both versions look wonderful!

      • Chef Mimi – As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!
        chef mimi says:

        Interesting thought!

  4. Hi Bern! Broccoli Rabe is a favorite of mine. Truth be told, I ate it almost everyday of my pregnancies. I will try this recipe this week!!
    As always, thank you for sharing! ❤️

  5. the Painted Apron – Life is all about creativity for me, as long as I'm creating something I am happy! I hope I will inspire your daily life and give you ideas for your own wonderful creations!
    the Painted Apron says:

    I used to hate broccoli, but once I started roasting it with garlic and Parmesan it became a favorite…I don’t think I’ve ever had broccoli rabe, I’ll have to try it!
    Jenna

  6. D. Wallace Peach – 30 Miles beyond the edge of civilization, Oregon – I'm an adventurer in writing, peering under rocks in my garden for secret magic. I can't stop writing. My stories want to explode from my head. They demand my attention and surge from my fingertips faster than I can put them to paper. I love what I do.
    D. Wallace Peach says:

    So funny how our tastes evolve, isn’t it? Your mother-in-law was a huge fan to eat herself to the hospital! I’m glad you tried it again and found a delicious way to serve it, Bernadette. And you’re right… you can never have enough cheese. Lol. Thanks for the recipe!

  7. Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
    Jacqui Murray says:

    That looks spectacular. I wish restaurants weren’t so annoying these days. I’d be out dining on this sort of great food often.

    And no–I don’t have the patience to cook it! I wish I did.

      • Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
        Jacqui Murray says:

        But I will entertain an invite… Not that I’m fishing for one!

      • Jacqui, consider this your invitation. What I need is a recipe and a story and a photo is really appreciated. I work through my email which is newclassicrecipes.com. I look forward to our collaboration.

      • Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
        Jacqui Murray says:

        A question for you: My husband is looking for low-salt recipes laid out like daily menus, that tells him what to eat each day, and then the next. He could pick recipes but he wants one that tells him. And then tells how much salt is in each meal. Is there such a book?

      • His best bet is to put in a search engine – dash diet meal planner. There are apps that he might like and also different sites offering help.

        Good luck

        B

        >

      • Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
        Jacqui Murray says:

        Great idea. I didn’t think of appending “meal planner”. Thanks, Bernadette!

  8. Bern, I love broccoli rabe, I love sausage and I love pasta. SOLD! This will be on our table sometime this week. I’ll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for another great recipe that makes my mouth water!

  9. BookWorm – I am a 15-year-old bookworm. Reading is the fuel that I need to survive! It gives me a greater sense of the big world around me from my cosy couch. I have made reading my best companion and a teacher. The happiness reading brings me is immense. I read books of all genres, and here is the take on the books from a book worm's view!
    BookWorm says:

    Many people don’t like broccoli, I just love it! You have got an amazing blog! Loved it

  10. funny how our tastes in food and other things can change over time. when i was young, i didn’t like capsicum for instance but i just kept eating it till i loved it! i do like bitter flavours i must say.

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