Sautéed Rapini Recipe (broccoli rabe)

A simple Sautéed Rapini Recipe or Broccoli Rabe Recipe made with just a few simple ingredients you are sure to have in your home any day of the week. Olive oil, garlic, Italian Seasoning and some chili peppers if you like things a little spicy. A great side dish that goes perfectly with authentic Italian meatballs, chicken parmigiana, chicken or a classic roast beef.

Rapini is relatively new to me and not something I ever ate as a kid. I didn’t really hear of it until I met my husband, who is Italian. His mom makes rapini often and serves it as a side dish to pasta or roast beef dinner. Or sometimes she even mixes it into fettuccine noodles with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese.

This rapini recipe makes a great side dish to so many dishes that it has easily become the side dish I make most often outside of salads.

What is rapini?

Rapini is also commonly known as Broccoli Rabe. It is a green leafy vegetable with little buds. It is part of the Turnip family, not broccoli. Rapini or Broccoli Rabe can look a lot like broccoli, but the stalks don’t form a solid bunch like broccoli, coming as a loose bunch instead. And the stalks are much longer and skinnier.

Choosing The Best Bunch

Look for bunches of rapini that have shorter, firm stalks with buds that are still unopened. I avoid bunches that look wilted and have yellowing leaves or buds that look like they have opened or begun to flower.

A Quick Peek At The Ingredients

Get the full list of ingredients and amounts needed for this recipe in the recipe card below.

There was a little Italian bakery I used to go to for lunch when I used to work at the newspaper. They had a lunch counter, and the lady there made the best rapini in the universe. It was so good that it sold out every single day, so getting there before the lunch rush was a must if you wanted any.

She shared this recipe with me. It is a little spicy, but you can always leave out the chili peppers.

Step-By-Step Made Simple

There may still be a little water left, but to tell when it is done, I use a fork to poke the stems. If like them soft enough for them to easily be pierced with a fork, but not mushy.

Tips for Perfect Rapini

Sometimes people will say that their rapini is bitter. But these are two tricks I use and learned from the lady at the restaurant for perfect rapini every time.

• Keep The Stems On. When I leave the stems on, my rapini is always less bitter.
• Adding the water to the rapini while it steams helps to almost rinse out the bitterness. This was the biggest lightbulb for me and makes all the difference.