Broccoli Rabe and Italian Sausages
Also known as rapini, broccoli rabe is not just the scraggly outcroppings of a broccoli plant or baby broccoli, like you might think. In fact, the leafy, cruciferous vegetable is closely related to the turnip. The deliciously bitter stems, leaves and nutty, broccoli-esque buds are all edible and commonly used in Italian cooking.
Don’t be daunted by the vegetable’s wild and unruly appearance; broccoli rabe is easy to cook. It’s great simply blanched and sautéed in olive oil, roasted until crisp or even pureed into a piquant pesto. Here, is a fantastic recipe for broccoli rabe with sausage. Not only is is a great main dish that is quick and easy to make, but it also makes for a delicious filling for an Italian style sandwich. To make this dish vegan, just eliminate the sausages.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 ounces Italian sausage links
1/4 cup water
1 pound broccoli rabe, washed and trimmed
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced.
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt, to taste
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 ° F.
To a large cast iron skillet, add 1/4 cup of water and the sausage links. Place the skillet in the oven and bake the sausages for 15 to 20 minutes until no longer pink.
In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the broccoli rabe until nearly tender, 4 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Squeeze and pat dry, then chop.
Remove the skillet from the oven and place the sausages on a cutting board and slice on a diagonal into 1-inch rounds.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat,. Add 3 more tablespoons of oil, the garlic, bell pepper and red pepper to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 minutes. Season with salt. Add the lemon juice and toss. Serve with mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top.
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