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Common
03-04-2015, 01:40 PM
Were having Broccoli Raab over ravioli tonight. I wanted regular pasta my wife wanted ravioli, guess who won.

I make broccoli raab the same way my Grandmother made it.

Olive oil in the bottom of a big pot, tons of garlic chopped on the large size.
Broccoli Raab <rapini> wash thoroughly cut off 2 to 4 inchs of stems depending on how big, then cut the bunch in half. When the oils sizzling the garlic toss in the broccoli raab and when its steaming, I spray water on it with a spray bottle. Put the top on and spray it occaisionally, when its half wilted I add some salt and pepper and let it cook all the way down. If You dont cook it long enough its bitter.

Let it cool put it on cutting board chop it up put it over fresh out of the pot raviolis. If it was over pasta with beans it would be an italian peasant dish

PolWatch
03-04-2015, 01:46 PM
I've never tried broccoli raab ... gonna have to add that to my 'try it' list. So far I have tried pierogie and pasta with Kale...enjoyed both. Y'all are gonna turn this redneck into a yankee yet!

PolWatch
03-04-2015, 01:48 PM
The prep sounds like wilted greens....but I cook bacon, add chopped green onions and then mustard, spinach, leaf lettuce (any combination). Put a lid on it and let it simmer. Great with cornbread!

Mister D
03-04-2015, 01:50 PM
Yeah, raab is kind of bitter. I think it's has a more biiter taste than kale or trunip greens.

Dandelions are f'n dusgusting. They are so bitter I threw the whole plate of pasta out.

PolWatch
03-04-2015, 01:54 PM
I don't like turnip greens or collards. My husband and son like both of them so they do the cooking on those dishes. I like spinach & mustard. The kale was good too.

We had a cat that loved mustard greens...we had to fix him his own plate every time we cooked them....redneck feline!

Mister D
03-04-2015, 02:03 PM
I don't like turnip greens or collards. My husband and son like both of them so they do the cooking on those dishes. I like spinach & mustard. The kale was good too.

We had a cat that loved mustard greens...we had to fix him his own plate every time we cooked them....redneck feline!

I like both. Dr. Who turned me on to collards with pasta. tasty.

Mister D
03-04-2015, 02:03 PM
Mustard greens are OK. :undecided:

Common
03-04-2015, 02:14 PM
I've never tried broccoli raab ... gonna have to add that to my 'try it' list. So far I have tried pierogie and pasta with Kale...enjoyed both. Y'all are gonna turn this redneck into a yankee yet!

Make sure you cook it down enough Pol or it can be extremely bitter. Best way to tell is when its in the pot look for the biggest stalk end and taste it, it has to almost melt in your mouth, you dont want any crunch

Common
03-04-2015, 02:15 PM
Mustard greens are OK. :undecided:

Yep all greens are good really, Ive had collard greens and pasta and Mustard and Kale

You know D, if you put enough oil and garlic on a pile of dogchit it would taste good :)

Common
03-04-2015, 02:16 PM
My wife went out in the freezer to find raviolis and she found a bag of spinach and mozzarella cheese raviolis I bought in costco. Were having that :)

Mister D
03-04-2015, 02:18 PM
Yep all greens are good really, Ive had collard greens and pasta and Mustard and Kale

You know D, if you put enough oil and garlic on a pile of dogchit it would taste good :)

I don't like cooked spinach at all. It has zero body.

Common
03-04-2015, 02:21 PM
I don't like cooked spinach at all. It has zero body.

I agree, I like it raw much better in a salad, but in a ravioli it doesnt matter.

Mister D
03-04-2015, 02:21 PM
I agree, I like it raw much better in a salad, but in a ravioli it doesnt matter.

I agree. When it's rolled up with cheese you don't notice.

Peter1469
03-04-2015, 06:04 PM
Yeah, raab is kind of bitter. I think it's has a more biiter taste than kale or trunip greens.

Dandelions are f'n dusgusting. They are so bitter I threw the whole plate of pasta out.

Dandelions are good if you get them when they are still young. They get bitter after the stalk grows- after that I only eat the flower part.

PolWatch
03-04-2015, 06:18 PM
I like spinach any way....

Mr. Right
03-04-2015, 07:01 PM
I'm going to have to try the Raab.. it would be uncharted territory. Pol and I were talking about one of the farmers between her neck of the woods and mine that raises kale and collards. I'm going to get some kale and try the kale/pasta combo. I imagine after I serve, I'll include a generous portion of parmasan cheese. Tonight, though... I'm doing the heatem up eatem up out of the freezer. Gotta go Jeapordy just came on.

Dr. Who
03-04-2015, 07:06 PM
Make sure you cook it down enough Pol or it can be extremely bitter. Best way to tell is when its in the pot look for the biggest stalk end and taste it, it has to almost melt in your mouth, you dont want any crunch
I found that out the hard way with rapini. You cannot cook them like broccoli! Crispy rapini is so bitter, it's inedible.

Common
03-04-2015, 07:18 PM
Yeah, raab is kind of bitter. I think it's has a more biiter taste than kale or trunip greens.

Dandelions are f'n dusgusting. They are so bitter I threw the whole plate of pasta out.

The key is you have to cook them more, the more you cook them the more bitterness comes out. You cant use the rule of thumb for veggies where you leave them crunchy. You have too cok Dandelions and Brocolli Raab till its soft and magically all the bitterness comes out.
I ate dandelions all the time when I was a kid, not that I loved them, I had no choice lol
Us kids had to go pick them for my grandmother

Common
03-04-2015, 07:20 PM
I found that out the hard way with rapini. You cannot cook them like broccoli! Crispy rapini is so bitter, it's inedible.

Yes indeed, people unknowingly think your supposed to cook them that way. Cooking it more does not destroy the nutrients.

Anyone who googles Broccoli Raab nutrition would be amazed at how much good stuff it has in it

Common
03-04-2015, 07:21 PM
I'm going to have to try the Raab.. it would be uncharted territory. Pol and I were talking about one of the farmers between her neck of the woods and mine that raises kale and collards. I'm going to get some kale and try the kale/pasta combo. I imagine after I serve, I'll include a generous portion of parmasan cheese. Tonight, though... I'm doing the heatem up eatem up out of the freezer. Gotta go Jeapordy just came on.

Cheese is a given with it, its very good with Kale also.

Dr. Who
03-04-2015, 07:23 PM
Yes indeed, people unknowingly think your supposed to cook them that way. Cooking it more does not destroy the nutrients.

Anyone who googles Broccoli Raab nutrition would be amazed at how much good stuff it has in it
However the fact that you have to cook it until it's soft, means that it clings to the pasta better. Love it.

Common
03-04-2015, 07:24 PM
Just a note in case anyone doesnt know. When your cooking with fresh garlic and you chop it, leave it sit for at least 11 minutes. It takes that long for the alicin to become present and the oils to move to the surface. I usually wait 15 minutes.

Alicin is the compound in garlic that does all the good things.

Redrose
03-04-2015, 07:35 PM
I like it cooked with lemon. I've never had it over ravioli, that sounds very good. I cook my garlic whole cloves usually and then eat them. Hubby hates that. Garlic breath. I love garlic.

A meal I loved was blue claw crabs cooked in tomato sauce. I would clean the crabs well. The fish sauce is amazing on pasta. The crabs are cooked well and the taste is fantastic. It's a messy meal, eat it only with immediate family and plenty of wet napkins.

Peter1469
03-04-2015, 07:43 PM
I cook garlic that way too.

sachem
03-04-2015, 07:59 PM
Don't like broccoli raab.

PolWatch
03-04-2015, 08:03 PM
The kale & pasta was a hit with a whole bunch of rednecks!

Dr. Who
03-04-2015, 08:10 PM
The kale & pasta was a hit with a whole bunch of rednecks!
It's pretty amazing that something so simple is also so tasty.

Redrose
03-04-2015, 08:25 PM
Don't like broccoli raab.


Try it sauteed with garlic and oil with lemon and greated parmesan cheese.

Common
03-04-2015, 11:33 PM
I like it cooked with lemon. I've never had it over ravioli, that sounds very good. I cook my garlic whole cloves usually and then eat them. Hubby hates that. Garlic breath. I love garlic.

A meal I loved was blue claw crabs cooked in tomato sauce. I would clean the crabs well. The fish sauce is amazing on pasta. The crabs are cooked well and the taste is fantastic. It's a messy meal, eat it only with immediate family and plenty of wet napkins.

Crabs and spaghetti is fantastic, I love it.

Common
03-04-2015, 11:33 PM
The kale & pasta was a hit with a whole bunch of rednecks!

Its really good for them too

Redrose
03-04-2015, 11:45 PM
Crabs and spaghetti is fantastic, I love it.


My husband is from Dayton. White bread country. When we were first married, I cooked crabs and sauce for him and started to dig in with both hands, crab juice running down my arms and sucking the crab meat out of the shells, he looked horrified. I laughed at him. I told him I'd make an Italian out of him if it killed him. lol

He loves it now. We fight over the last crab. It gets ugly.

Common
03-05-2015, 12:12 AM
My husband is from Dayton. White bread country. When we were first married, I cooked crabs and sauce for him and started to dig in with both hands, crab juice running down my arms and sucking the crab meat out of the shells, he looked horrified. I laughed at him. I told him I'd make an Italian out of him if it killed him. lol

He loves it now. We fight over the last crab. It gets ugly.

I like the white crab and spaghetti too.
Many years ago my uncle owned a little bungalo on Mastic Beach in Long Island, this was when it was still nice. We would go there from the city and crab and clam and bring it back to the bungalo and they'd cook either crabs and spaghetti or have fresh claim sauce red or white.
I loved it when i was a kid, now its a dump there, Im talking 55-60 yrs ago

Redrose
03-05-2015, 12:21 AM
I like the white crab and spaghetti too.
Many years ago my uncle owned a little bungalo on Mastic Beach in Long Island, this was when it was still nice. We would go there from the city and crab and clam and bring it back to the bungalo and they'd cook either crabs and spaghetti or have fresh claim sauce red or white.
I loved it when i was a kid, now its a dump there, Im talking 55-60 yrs ago


I lived in Shoreham, on the Northshore, exit 68 LIE. Lived there from '71 to '89. Mastic/Shirley was getting rough even then. Fishing in the Sound was too dangerous for me, but the Great South Bay was wonderful. Crabs, muscles, clams, flounder, fluke, bluefish. Love it.

I miss the food in NY. I would kill for a good scungili salad from Lenny's Clam Bar or a good NY Jewish knish with spicy mustard.