People tend to associate Italian cooking with tomatoes, which is true (especially in the center and south) during the summer months, but things change in the winter, when cabbages come to the fore. And since nothing is standardized in Italy you'll find different cabbages depending upon where you happen to be. In much of the south a winter meal without cime di rapa, broccoli raab, wouldn't seem quite right. These, which I shot in a market in Florence, were from Puglia.
What to do with them? In Puglia people wilt them by putting them in a pot with the water left on the leaves from washing them and heating them covered with a pinch of salt, then squeeze out most of the juices, which are quite bitter, chop them, saute them quickly with a garlic clove, and serve them on a bed of fava bean puree. Quite satisfying, believe me.
But Cime di Rapa are also great for winter pasta sauces and are a nice side too:
- Orecchiette with Broccoli Raab
- Cavatelli with Broccoli Raab, Scampi and Baby Cuttlefish
- Rape Nfucate, Fiery Broccoli Raab
A Lenten Fish Recipe for Today: Grilled Saddled Bream With Shallot Sauce
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Comments
My version of your Orecchiette with Broccoli Raab recipe includes smashing an anchovy into the olive oil as you cook the garlic. Yum! This was one of my favorite dishes when we lived in Puglia.
Last night I cooked pasta and broccoli. We love them with or without pasta.
http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2010/12/from-earth-to-table.html
I think I have that recipe too. It is nice, but some people shrink horrified from anchovies. Never been able to figure out why.
The fiery version sounds interesting and easy.
Anchovies are not for me Kyle, I’m one of those people you are speaking of.
Phylameana, remind me never to offer you salted anchovies of the sort that are packed in oil with toasted bread & unsalted butter. The combination has always been one of my favorites, especially if there is also a little salsa verde to be had. Italians often use salted anchovies instead of salt in dishes — the result of one anchovy — it will dissolve — isn’t fishy, but rather has the freshness of the sea to it.
Kyle
My family comes from southern Italy, so we eat broccoli raab every other day. My husband practically lives on it. It can be bitter, but when it’s cooked correctly, it’s delicious. Who can resist it fried with sausage or fried with sausage on top of a pizza?