A longtime regular in Italian cuisine, broccoli was barely known in the United States until the 1920s. Now, of course, it’s available through out the year in every supermarket (there’s no reason to buy frozen). It is easy to grow and ship, inexpensive and flavorful, easy to cook, delicious, and nutritious. It also can be prepared in a variety of ways, which makes it a great standby vegetable to keep in the fridge. Serve it raw, lightly cooked, or completely cooked.
This is more of a main course than a side dish, a simple Italian classic and one of my favorites. Without the grapes, and thinned with a little water or stock, it can serve as a sauce for pasta. Substitute regular broccoli if you like.
Other vegetables you can use: broccoli, gai lan, turnip or mustard greens, asparagus, kale, or collards.
If you wan to make broccoli raab with sausage and grapes, then just follow the steps mentioned below:
Ingredients:
- About 1 1/2 pounds of broccoli raab, trimmed and cut up
- About 1 pound sweet, garlic sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, slivered
- About 1/2 pound seedless grapes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steps:
- Boil or steam the broccoli raab for about 3 minutes, until it is bright green and beginning to get tender. Drain and plunge it into ice water for a few moments and drain again. (At this point, you may refrigerate the broccoli raab, wrapped well or in a covered container, for up to 2 days.)
- Cook the sausage over medium heat in a large, deep skillet, pricking it with a fork or thin-bladed knife a few times and turning from time to time, until it is nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the sausage from the skillet (don’t worry about it being done) and cut it into medium sized pieces. Return it to the skillet over medium heat; cook, turning occasionally, until all sides of the sausage are nicely browned, about 5 more minutes.
- Squeeze the excess liquid from the broccoli raab and chop it coarsely. Add it to the skillet along with the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add the grapes and heat. Check for salt and sprinkle pepper liberally. Serve immediately.
Broccoli Raab with Garlic and Pecorino. Omit the sausage, increase the garlic to 4 cloves, and substitute1 cup grated pecorino cheese for the grapes. Skip Steps 2 and 3; toss with pecorino just before serving.
Broccoli Raab with Anchovies. Omit the sausage and substitute 8 anchovies (rinsed if salt packed) for
the grapes. Put 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil in a wide skillet over medium temperature. When hot, add the garlic and anchovies and cook for about 2 minutes. Skip Steps 2 and 3 and proceed with the
recipe.
Related Tags: how to make broccoili raab
Related Content: