I could go for broccoli rabe. I hope I'm not pregnant.

I'm craving broccoli rabe. No, Mom, I’m not pregnant.

Broccoli rabe, also called rapini, is an Italian vegetable that is actually not related to broccoli at all. It's more like a cousin of the turnip, hence its bold, bitter flavor.

My sister-in-law is also craving broccoli rabe, and she is very pregnant. I was a bit surprised to learn this (no, not that she's pregnant; that it's broccoli rabe she's craving). You see, Dee is a born and bred Southern girl: petite, with liquid blue eyes, natural blonde hair, and the ever slightest, sweet Southern twang. When I think of broccoli rabe, I think of cold New England weather, 6- foot tall hungry brothers, and crusty Italian bread. It was often a lunch my mother would serve my father and two brothers.

This coming Saturday is Dee’s baby shower in Atlanta. She and Jason (one of Jeff's brothers) are expecting a little girl in May; she will be the first new baby in Jeff’s family. You can imagine the anticipation.

I assume the broccoli rabe craving is the result of Jason's Italian heritage rubbing off on Dee. He speaks Italian and is an outstanding cook who could take on Molto Mario in an Iron Chef challenge of meats. Jason, however, wouldn’t be caught dead in orange clogs. Or clogs of any color. He’s much more of an Armani kind of guy.

Jason's love of Italian cooking and meats stems both from his mom and from his (and Jeff’s) first jobs at Tom’s Deli on Charles Street. I love to hear them reminisce about making grinders, veal parm, and chicken marsala, and about eating the scraps of sliced prosciutto that were unsuitable for the customers. Apparently, there were a lot of unsuitable scraps.

Ironically both brothers married vegetarians; needless to say, culinary compromise is key in both houses. For instance, though Jeff and I both love broccoli rabe, he has to have his with some good Italian sausage while I like mine simply paired with crispy polenta.

So, Jason and Dee, I have decided to post two recipes featuring broccoli rabe. For us vegetarians, I offer sautéed broccoli rabe on crispy polenta with a rosemary and goat cheese sauce. And for carnivores, a classic, no-frills, Italian sandwich: crunchy Ciabatta bread topped with pan seared Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, and sharp provolone. I hope they will be a marriage made in heaven.

I was also wondering, did any of you crave broccoli rabe when you were pregnant? If not, what did you crave?

Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) on Crispy Polenta with a Rosemary-Goat Cheese Sauce

Print recipe only here.

Polenta:
1 cup yellow polenta
2 cups water
2 cups milk (low fat is ok)
2 tsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp olive for pan-searing

Combine the water, milk, butter, oil, and salt and pepper in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Slowly pour in the polenta and whisk. The polenta will start to bubble and spit pretty quickly. Place a cover on it, askew; reduce to a low simmer, and stir a couple of times, making sure to scrape the pan so the polenta doesn’t stick. Since it will be pan-seared, I shorten the cooking time to 10-15 minutes.

Coat a 9-inch pie plate or other round dish with cooking spray. Pour the cooked polenta in it, and smooth with a knife. Cover with foil, and place in the fridge for at least an hour (or even overnight if you want to plan ahead). Once chilled, it will easily slice into 8 pie slices.

When ready to pan sear the polenta, add 1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp. olive oil to a non-stick skillet. Add the polenta slices and sear on each side for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Broccoli rabe:
1 large bunch broccoli rabe (stems removed)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 minced garlic clove (optional)
A few shakes of crushed red pepper
Sea salt, to taste

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Boil broccoli rabe for 1- 1 ½ minutes; drain. Plunge in a bowl of ice water. Shocking the rabe will maintain its vivid green color and stop them from cooking.

In a skillet, add olive oil. Add garlic, and sauté until it turns golden. Add broccoli rabe, crushed red pepper, and salt. Sauté 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Rosemary-Goat Cheese Sauce:
1/2 cup cream or half n’half
4 oz. soft goat cheese
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
A few cranks of freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp toasted chopped walnuts for garnish

For the goat cheese sauce, combine all ingredients in a small skillet, and heat 2-3 minutes, or until sauce is smooth and creamy.

To toast walnuts, place in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, shaking the handle slightly to toast nuts evenly. Remove when slightly golden and aromatic.

To serve, pour goat cheese sauce on each plate. Top with 2 slices of crispy polenta, 1/4 of the broccoli rabe, and 1/4 of the toasted walnuts. Garnish with some chopped fresh rosemary. Makes 4 servings.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Sandwich with Sharp Provolone
Print recipe only here.

1 small bunch broccoli rabe, stems removed
1 small minced garlic clove, optional
2 tsp olive oil
A few shakes of crushed red pepper
Salt, to taste

1 small 8-9 inch loaf crusty Italian bread (I like Ciabatta)
2 tsp olive oil
4 slices sharp Provolone cheese
Some crushed red pepper

2 links Italian sausage
1 tsp olive oil

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Boil broccoli rabe for 1-1 ½ minutes; drain. Plunge in a bowl of ice water. Shocking the rabe will maintain its vivid green color and stop them from cooking.

In a skillet, add 2 tsp olive oil and garlic. Sauté until garlic starts to turn golden. Add broccoli rabe, crushed red pepper, and salt. Sauté 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Slice loaf in half to make 2 sandwiches. Brush the center of the bread with the olive oil. Place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until golden and crunchy.

Slice sausage links in half. Add 1 tsp olive oil to a skillet, and pan sear 5-7 minutes per side, or until they are brown and crispy.

To make the sandwiches, add the provolone cheese to the hot bread. Top with sausage and broccoli rabe. Season with crushed red pepper and salt. Serve right away while the cheese is hot and melty.

Save This Page on Del.icio.us

Broccoli Marries Pasta

The final featured vegetable of the cruciferous make-over (see Brussels Sprouts on Botox and Cauliflower Gets New Clothes) is broccoli. Otherwise known as the vegetable that our mothers made us eat so we could have dessert. That is until you’ve tried broccoli made by Jeff’s mother. I had the good fortune of having three wonderful role models for cooking: my grandmother, my mother, and my mother-in-law. Jeff’s mom, Dorothy, (also Italian and from RI) is an outstanding cook -- as it has been said: the woman could make sawdust taste good.

I first ate her lemony broccoli pasta with breadcrumbs when Jeff and I were dating (Jeff says it helped to convince me to marry him). This is an adaptation of her recipe. She’s really excited about this blog. She actually told Jeff that I have become her second favorite, right after Giada from the Food Network. If you knew my mother-in-law, then you would understand that that is a HUGE compliment!

Although I think fresh pasta is always superior to dried, it’s not always practical; I am actually all out myself, unless Jeff at the delicious C for Cooking would like to mail me some (see his 26 Jan. 07 post). But I do think dried pasta is fine for this recipe; I like Barilla. Just be sure to keep both the pasta and the broccoli al dente.

My husband just added, “Tell them not to skimp on the Grana Padano!" So, there you have it.

DOROTHY’S PASTA with LEMONY BROCCOLI, WALNUTS, and TOASTED BREADCRUMBS

Print recipe only here.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cups broccoli florets
About 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
A little bit of lemon zest
8 oz pasta (I used cellentani; I also like penne or rigatoni, 'cause the breadcrumbs adhere well to them)
½ cup walnuts, toasted
½ cup breadcrumbs, toasted
A few shakes of crushed red pepper
A few shakes of salt
A non-skimpy portion of good grated Grana Padano
A handful of chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Some good olive oil to drizzle on top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Layer walnuts on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, until slightly golden and aromatic.

To toast the breadcrumbs, place in a skillet on the stovetop; slightly shake until golden and evenly toasty, just a couple of minutes. Remove from pan, so that the heat won’t continue to toast them.

Cook pasta in salted water according to directions.

Add olive oil to a skillet. Over medium heat, sauté garlic and shallots until slightly caramelized. Add the broccoli, lemon juice and zest, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the broccoli turns a brilliant green and remains firm to the touch. Add your cooked pasta to the skillet with the broccoli mixture, and toss in the toasted walnuts and breadcrumbs.

Plate the pasta; sprinkle with a healthy dose of grated Grana Padano cheese and some fresh parsley. Finish it off with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.
Makes 4 servings.