Sicilian-Style Broccoli Rabe With Eggplant and Capers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the bitterness out of broccoli rabe? ›

How Do You Reduce the Bitter Taste of Broccoli Rabe? The easiest way to rid broccoli rabe of some of its bitter flavor is by blanching it first. Just a quick dip in boiling water extracts enough of the bitterness and jumpstarts the cooking.

Don't chop too much: simply remove the bottom stem!

Chopping the broccoli rabe can cause the plant to become event more bitter. So remove just the very tough bottom stem only. Don't chop the leaves or florets!

Broccoli rabe tastes slightly bitter and nutty and is very similar in appearance to other cruciferous vegetables, with florets like broccoli and leaves like kale. All the parts of this vegetable — the stems, leaves, and florets — are edible, and it's easy to cook.

In Puglia, it's called “cime di rapa.” In Tuscany, it's "rapini" and in Lazio, it's “friggitelli.” Yet the most common Italian name for this particular vegetable comes from Campania – “friarelli.” But in English, it's broccoli rabe.

Broccoli rabe's bitter flavor comes from chemical compounds known as glucosinolates, which are found in other bitter greens like kale, collard greens, and mustard greens.

Blanching is key to making rapini/broccoli rabe less bitter. You can blanch it in a pot of boiling water for 60 to 90 seconds or steam it with a little water for a few minutes in a covered skillet before sauteeing. Both methods work well, but I prefer to boil it first.

To harvest, cut the broccoli heads and leaves about six inches. It will re-grow and provide several cuttings. To prepare, most varieties need to be boiled to remove some of the bitterness, then immersed in a cold water bath, drained, then squeezed of water. It's then usually sautéed in olive oil, garlic and salt.

As with broccoli, the florets turn yellow as it ages, so yellow flowers are a sign that your bunch of broccoli rabe is past its prime.

Lastly, we have broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, which is not a broccoli derivative at all and is instead more closely related to the turnip. It's a bitter green, similar to a mustard green, with thin stalks, little buds, and lots and lots of leaves.

The deliciously bitter stems, leaves, and nutty, broccoli-esque buds are all edible, easy to cook, and often sautéed, braised, and roasted in Italian dishes.

Does broccoli rabe make you gassy? ›

Does broccoli rabe make you gassy? A. Yes, it can make you gassy. That is because its fibre content can reach the colon and be acted on by bacteria in our bodies, releasing gas and one of its carbohydrates, raffinose.

Both raw and cooked broccoli will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator when stored properly. Blanched broccoli will last between 10 and 12 months in the freezer.

Broccoli rabe (Brassica ruvo) is also called rapini, raab, or rabe (both pronounced "rahb"), bitter broccoli, and turnip broccoli. The Italian name cime di rape means "turnip tops" and in Italy it's also known as rapini or broccoleti di rapa, while friarelli is common in Naples.

Broccoli rabe contains 50% more gastrointestinal health boosting fiber than kale. I told you, you may just be sporting a broccoli rabe bag this summer. Orange veggies are awesome, but greens are a good way too to get in the uber antioxidant, Vitamin A, also.

The word broccoli, first used in the 17th century, comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which means "the flowering crest of a cabbage", and is the diminutive form of brocco, meaning "small nail" or "sprout".

The Fix: Balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour. For naturally bitter foods such as kale, you can soften the flavor by add a lemony vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pomegranate seeds. You can also elevate kale by tossing it olive oil and salt, then roasting it in the oven until crispy.

Honey adds a little complexity and maxes out the flavor. Published May 3, 2022. As far as vegetables go, broccoli rabe isn't always at the top of everyone's list of favorites.

Blanch the greens first.

I totally regretted it and the whole dish came out bitter and unappetizing. The next time, when I made the same dish and blanched the broccoli rabe in salted water first, it was delicious. Blanching helps to leach out some of the bitterness and works best with hardier greens.

The best way to reduce or get rid of bitter flavor in broth is to add sugar and acid to offset the bitterness. Adding sugar and acid doesn't just mask the bitter flavor; it actually changes the chemistry within the broth!