Sauteed Rapini with Garlic and Lemon (2024)

Last Updated on: 25th January 2024, 05:56 am

This garlic-flavored Sauteed Rapini (a.k.a. broccoli rabe) recipe is the best! The rapini is sauteed in EVOO, garlic, lemon juice and crushed red pepper. Make it as spicy (or not at all) as you like. It’s low-carb, vegetarian, Vegan and gluten-free.

Sauteed Rapini

You will seriously LOVE this broccoli rabe recipe! It’s so easy-to-make and it’s full of garlic flavor. Broccoli rabe is a beloved leafy green vegetable in Italy. I grew up eating it long before it became popular.

As a matter of fact, I have memories of my mom (she was a feisty Italian immigrant) pulling over the side of the road to go pick broccoli rabe in an open field near my childhood home.

She needed it for Sunday dinner, which was the best dinner of the week…always. It was fried breaded chicken cutlets, red roasted peppers, pasta, broccoli rabe, fresh Italian bread and wine of course!

Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission but, the price you pay is the same.

Cooking Rapini

What is rapini?

Rapini a.k.a. broccoli rabe is a green cruciferous (I like saying “cruciferous”; it sounds so important) vegetable. It has leaves and broccoli looking buds, stems (thinner than broccoli) that is popular in Italy and Mediterranean cuisine.

You’ve probably met it’s cousin broccolini too. I have a good recipe!

What part of rapini is edible?

All of it! The leaves, stems and little broccoli looking florets are all edible which is great because you don’t have to throw any of it away. However, if the ends of the stems are looking a little harsh, you can trim them off.

Cooking rapini is easy. There are two ways to cook it. Boil or par boil and frying it. When you fry it in oil, the color will change to olive green. It tastes good that way too but, it’s much higher in fat and calories.

How long should you cook rapini?

It doesn’t take long to cook rapini. You can boil rapini for about 5-7 minutes or you can boil it a few minutes and then finish it in a frying pan as in this recipe.

How do you clean and cut rapini?

First, cut the rapini 2-3 times while it’s still in the rubber bands or twist ties that hold it together in a bunch. It makes it easier to cut and handle while it’s still in a bunch. It’s also easier to remove the brown ends of the stem, if you wish.

Then, remove the rubber bands or twist ties from the rappini.

Next, remove any yellow leaves and trash them.

Then, add the rapini to a bowl of water. Let it sit in there for a few minutes and then drain it. Or, you can rinse it well in a colander.

How to Make Sauteed Rapini

Ingredients

• rapini (broccoli rabe)
• EVOO
• garlic cloves
• lemon juice
• crushed red pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. First, wash and rinse broccoli rabe. Cut into two-inch pieces.
2. Next, add rinsed broccoli to a large frying pan with 1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook on high heat for five minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel garlic cloves and cut in half. Prep lemon juice if using fresh.
4. Next, drain broccoli it in a colander (it will have darkened while cooking.)
5. Then, dry pan with a paper towel. Add oil, garlic, lemon juice, crushed red pepper (if using) and cook for 2 minutes. Do not let garlic burn.
6. Next, slowly add drained broccoli and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the broccoli rabe stems are soft when poked with a fork. NOTE: be careful adding wet broccoli to the hot oil. It will splatter.

That’s it! Isn’t that easy? Now you can make amazing sauteed broccoli rabe at home with little effort.

It makes a wonderful side dish not only to Italian main dishes like Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets ,homemade meatballs, Italian pulled pork but, to many American and Mediterranean main dishes too. You’re going to LOVE this authentic Italian sauteed rapini recipe!

I took this recipe to Weekend Potluck.