Sautéed rapini is a simple side dish of Italian style broccoli. It is very nutritious, a tiny bit bitter, and definitely one of my favorite green vegetables. Use it in pasta and polenta dishes, too!
Originally published September 12, 2012
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What is Rapini?
For those of you who don’t know what rapini are or what it looks like, it’s a type of Italian broccoli. It’s more leafy and with a little sharpness in its flavor than it’s American/British cousin. Also sometimes referred to as “rabe” (pronounced “rah-beh”) or “broccoli raab”, it is a green cruciferous vegetable. Rapini have small heads of florets, similar to broccolini, but with many more leaves (all the parts are edible).
I absolutely LOVE these greens! I would call it the “adult” version of standard broccoli–although, as you will learn below, I gave it to my children while they were still babies.
My Daughter’s Crazy, Goat-Hating Pediatrician
When my daughter was almost 12 months old, I took her to a new pediatrician for a well-visit check up. The doctor asked all the routine questions like what my daughter was eating, how she was sleeping, along with other developmental questions.
I told her that I was weaning her and had been supplementing her diet with goat milk.
The pediatrician was visibly shocked, and asked,
“Why goat’s milk?”
To which I responded,
“For one thing, it’s more easily digestable than cow’s milk.”
So, she asked me what was wrong with formula. I gave her my opinion (basically that I preferred to give my daughter something natural as opposed to something created in a science lab) to which she obviously disagreed.
The pediatrician went on to tell me that goat’s milk doesn’t contain any folates. She also declared, with disgust in her voice, that my daughter was the only infant in her practice who was “on goat’s milk!” With one last insult, she exclaimed, “And goats are such ugly animals!” I swear, she actually said this! At this point, I realized she was grasping at straws.
So, I informed this “doctor” that I was also sure that my daughter was also the only infant in her practice who was eating rapini which happens to be full of folates.
Not only was it unprofessional of this pediatrician to discuss an animal’s “looks” to defend her case, but what a total loser: goats are absolutely adorable!
Needless to say, that was my first and last visit to that pediatrician. I might add that my daughter has grown to be 5’9″, was almost never ill, never had one ear infection, and was rarely given antibiotics! Take that, you goat-hating, poor excuse for a pediatrician! 😝
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Sautéed rapini is a good introduction to the vegetable if you’ve never had it before, but be sure to eat it with some fresh, crusty bread. It has a strong flavor, and I think you’ll find, you may want some bread alongside it.
Another recipe using rapini: Rapini and Besciamella Orecchiette
Sautéed Rapini
recipe is one that is used by Italians all over Italy serves 4 as a side dish
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Put the oil, garlic and pepper in a frying pan over medium high heat. Cook until garlic just starts to brown.
Add the rapini (cut in half if the bunch is really long) along with the water.
Turn the greens quickly, then cover and sauté for a few minutes, occasionally turning. Add salt to taste. Lower the heat, if necessary.
Don’t overcook the rapini, the stalks should still be a bit firm/crunchy when done. Check doneness after 5 or 6 minutes.
The best way to test the rapini is to pierce a stalk and taste a leaf for salt. Remove from heat when the greens are ready. The rapini will look like this.
How to Use or Serve Rapini
This makes a fantastic side for almost any dish. Next time you want to serve broccoli, spinach or green beans as a side, try rapini for a change. But don’t be shy; use rapini in sandwiches, like this porchetta (pork) panino!
It’s also used in polenta to add lots of flavor and nutrition. Many people, including me, love it with pasta, especially when made with fresh Italian sausage!
My daughter and I love sautéed rapini so much, we had a bowl of soup for dinner the other night, and then an entire bowl of rapini afterwards instead of a salad (of course served with homemade Italian bread!)
I failed to mention the wonderful nutritional benefits to eating rapini! It’s full of all sorts of vitamins and minerals. You should be able to find rapini in any large grocery store, if not, Whole Foods should have it in their produce department.
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Sauteed Rapini
Try this slightly bitter green as a side dish and I bet you're hooked after the first time you taste it! So nutritious as well as delicious.
Ingredients
- one bunch of rapini, washed and trimmed (do not remove the stalks entirely, just tips)
- 2 or 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large or 3 smaller cloves of garlic
- 2 or 3 tbsp of water
- salt, preferably Kosher or sea salt
- (optional: crushed red pepper flakes, or fresh/dried cayenne pepper)
Instructions
- Put the oil, garlic and pepper in a frying pan over medium high heat. Cook until garlic just starts to brown.
- Add the rapini (cut in half if the bunch is really long) along with the water.
- Turn the greens quickly, then cover and sauté for a few minutes, occasionally turning. Add salt to taste. Lower the heat, if necessary.
- Don't overcook the rapini, the stalks should still be a bit firm/crunchy when done; after 5 or 6 minutes is probably when I would first check to see if it's ready. The best way to check is to taste a piece (and check for salt too.)
- Remove from heat when ready.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 ozAmount Per Serving:Calories: 87Unsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g
Pizza Rolls with Sausage and Rapini
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Back in Iowa 40 years ago, out daughter and son each had a milking goat for 4H. They were 6 and 8 years old and did all the milking and feeding even in the cold, icy snowy winters! I learned to Chill the milk right away with a metal bowl sat in a bowl of ice water. I would stir until cold and refrigerate and it stayed fresh tasting for almost three weeks! When they and two other children showed their goats at the fair there was a lot of snickering in the audience, until the Judge began to speak. The kids were all looking at the ground and upset. He said he heard all that and obviously you people don’t know anything about goats! He went onto compare goats to cows and how much more thrifty they were. How much better goats milk was than cow’s milk. How most hospitals used it for babies (at that time) as a replacement when mother’s had breast feeding problems. When he finished, all the kids had their heads up high. Thinking… I have a goat and you only have a cow! :-)
BEST ice cream ever!! Kids would visit and not want to drink it until I offered money if they could tell the difference. 95% of the time they chose the goat milk as the best tasting! Embarrassed a lot of kids! OH and we brought out beautiful handmade milking stand to the fair for a contest and the cow milking children could not milk them and claimed they were out of milk until a goat child had to show them how it was done! Still smiling and wishing we had goats again!!
How I wish you were in that doctor’s office that day, Morgine! God, she was a twit! People who think they know everything are the most dangerous. Good for you and your kids raising goats! And you didn’t even mention the CHEESE!!! Best ever!
My daughter is now 5’8 so I don’t think the goat milk did her any harm, haha! Thanks for your comments, love them!
[…] bunch of rapini, washed and chopped into small […]
Goats are adorable. I wonder if that doc has ever seen a cow!
Ha ha ha ha ha!!!
[…] Sautéed Rapini by Christina’s Cucina […]
There are some DOOZIES out there! Who says that going to medical school means you’re smart? I admire your advocacy skills.
Thank you for the recipe. I just bought rapini for the first time yesterday and look forward to enjoying it with my meals.
Continued blessings!
Right? Just scary. I hope you enjoy rapini as much as I do, Daisy!
Christina,
What makes you suggest that blanching rapini isn’t done in 🇮🇹?
Hi Vincent,
I’m quite sure many Italians blanch their rapini as it can be used in so many different ways, but my family (in Italy) doesn’t do it for this dish, so that’s the recipe I’ve provided. You can look at all my recipes from my family and they are all shared as we make them. CC
[…] 16.Sautéed Rapini (Broccoli Rabe)- by christina’s cucina […]
[…] broccoli. It is truly one of my favorite greens which is why I included it in this recipe. You can read more about it in this other post I wrote. You could substitute broccolini, or even normal broccoli, if you […]
My goodness, that doctor must have got your goat! Seriously, I hope you changed after that. Really, what a silly billy.
And what a clever mum! This is my kind of veg – looks fantastic, Christina. I honestly can’t find this here, though, around Paris – but will try and look more closely.
Haha! What a witty, punny lady you are! :) I’m sure you should be able to find it at an Italian shop that sells veg, no?
So many recipes I see for Broccoli Rabe have you blanch before sauteing to reduce the bitterness. I really don’t care for it that way, because it seems too wet, and always ends up over-cooked. Besides, we like the bitterness!
Oh dear, that sounds awful! I follow the way the Italians make it. You can never go wrong with authentic Italian ways! :) Unless it’s to do with planning and organization! haha! Thanks, Diane!
When I sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes I add a small tin of anchovies too. They smash up with a wooden spoon and pretty much liquify while the garlic cooks…. but not too much, I don’t like my garlic to brown. Then proceed as usual. Salt isn’t even necessary, and the anchovies add such a wonderful umami flavor that complements the bitterness of the rapini.
I’ll have to tell my dad to try this, Sandi. He LOVES anchovies. Have you seen the video of him making his spaghetti and anchovies? It’s pretty funny :)
OMG, I can’t believe the pediatrician actually insulted goats’ looks! I l (literally) laughed out loud when I read that. Anyway, folates or no, sautéed rapini (or broccoletti as we used to call them Rome) is one of my favorite dishes. Wonderful with orecchiette!
Don’t know if I’d actually believe it myself if I hadn’t heard it with my own ears!
I adore rapini, one of my absolute favourite greens! How funny that story with the Pediatrician visit….I grew up on goats milk as well and I believe I turned out just fine😉
Crazy, isn’t it? Still hard to believe she passed all her exams to become a doctor!
Broccoli rape is actually an acceptable alternate spelling. I wouldn’t sweat it lol
One of our favorites, substituting shallots for the garlic, of course!
Of course! :)
Oh my god, I love that story at your doctor’s office, former doctor’s office I’m assuming :-) So sad that most doctor’s don’t get trained in nutrition. I’d rather eat healthy food than take a pill. And I’m definitely going to be making a helping of this tasty rapini!
Haha, yes! Given this incidence AND the fact that Denisa will be 21 this year! Eeek! How did that happen?
Who on earth could be a goat hater!?! This person clearly has never been around a live goat. That is quite the story.
I still haven’t warmed up to rapini (clearly I am not Italian), but I am willing to give it another try with this recipe. I could see it working really well on a sandwich. I believe there is hope for me yet. LOL
Right? Scary that she actually passed test in order to become a doctor yet clearly had no common sense! I’m making you a convert to a rapini-lover, Cathy!
I make a sandwich with sauteed garlicky Rabe, drizzled with a bit of good olive oil, fresh ground pepper a slice of sharp provalone with rustic Italian bread. Heat in oven just long enough to melt the cheese a little. Soooooo good!
I would LOVE that! YUM!!
Love this recipe! This is my favorite way to cook broccoli rape….. I have it with penne and save some pasta water to add into the pot
And also parmigiana.
Christina…do you have a recipe for Glasgow morning rolls…you know the roll we have with Lorne square sausage or bacon
That should have been broccoli rabe……….sorry I really should check more often before I post😩😩😩🎈🎈
Haha! No worries, I knew what you meant! :)
I love it with pasta, too, Margaret!
Unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe for morning rolls :( I’ve tried making them once and it just wasn’t right. Let me see what I can do, though.
What a great story and happy that was the one and only visit to that “doctor “!
Absolutely love rapini; have it often and the porchetta panino looks incredible!😋
So glad you already enjoy it, Devra! So many people have never tried it!
I love Rapini, I wish I had some right now, so simple delicious and quick not mentioning healthy. Christina your photos and recipes are perfect.
Thank you so much! :)
[…] broccoli. It is truly one of my favorite greens which is why I included it in this recipe. You can read more about it in this other post I wrote. You could substitute broccolini, or even normal broccoli, if you […]
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[…] Sauteed Rapini […]