topping-veg
Broccoli rabe (rapini)
Bitter Italian green; blanched and squeezed before the bake.
- Origin
- Southern Italy
About
Broccoli rabe is a bitter, leafy brassica close to mustard greens. Blanch in salted water for 2 minutes, shock in ice water, squeeze hard, then chop. Pair with sausage on a grandma or a Sicilian for the canonical Sunday-dinner combo. The bitterness cuts through cheese and sausage fat in a way milder greens won't.
Substitutes
- Spinach — milder; less bitter contrast