Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions

I often find myself in the supermarket with a shopping list that says “green veg.” This lack of specificity means I didn’t look in my laptop’s folders: Recipes/Make Next/Sides/Vegetables and Recipes/Cookbook/Sides/Vegetables . Why are you snickering? Doesn’t everyone have folders like that? Nor did I look at my bookmarks, Google Reader’s food blog subscriptions, magazines or cookbooks. I don’t have a vegetable plan, arggh!

I stand there in the produce aisle scanning the bins. Ah, broccoli, there you are, my old friend. I imagine a later conversation, “Yes, honey, we’re having broccoli again tonight, it’s good for us, and it was on sale.” He knows how I like a sale. But, it’s true, we both make broccoli far too often.

Sometimes I resist broccoli’s call and make my way over to a different section of produce where I spot my beloved’s Italian cousin. Although more expensive than his popular relative, broccoli rabe charms his way into my cart.

Also known as rapini, broccoli rabe has a stronger and more bitter taste than broccoli. With smaller florets, thinner stalks and more leaves, it’s a completely different eating experience, one that I prefer.

This recipe from the Simply Recipes blog has been my go-to broccoli rabe preparation since I found it. The sweetness of the onions contrasts with the bitterness (in a good way) of the broccoli rabe. If you take the time to blanch the broccoli rabe first, you’ll preserve its bright green color.

Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions

You’ll need a large pan, large pot with lid, large bowl for ice bath, slotted spoon or colander, clean dishtowel or salad spinner

• Olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 large bunch of broccoli rabe, rinsed and cut into 2-inch long pieces
• 2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• Salt and black pepper

Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. If the onions start to dry out, lower the heat (you can add a little water to them too.) They should brown, but not get dried out.

After you start the onions, if you plan to blanch, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water — about 1 tablespoon of salt per 3 quarts of water. Prepare an ice bath — a large bowl filled halfway with ice water. Add the rabe to the boiling water. Blanch (boil) for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the rabe from the boiling water or dump into a colander (my preference). Then immediately put the rabe into the ice bath to stop the cooking – this also helps preserve its bright green color. Remove the rabe from the ice bath once it’s cooled down. Wring out the excess moisture from the rabe or spin it in a salad spinner (my preference).

Once the onions are lightly browned, remove them from the pan. Using the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and heat the pan on high heat. Add the chili flakes. Once the chili flakes start to sizzle, add the garlic. Once the garlic just starts to turn golden, add the broccoli rabe and onions. Toss the rabe mixture so that it gets well coated with the olive oil. Cook on high heat until most of the moisture is gone, about 5 minutes if you blanched first, a minute or too longer if you skipped the blanching.

Original recipe: Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions, Simply Recipes