I grew up mostly in the Southern U.S. (courtesy of the U.S. Army), while my husband is basically 100% Italian. This dish is inspired by our very different backgrounds: pecans are quintessentially Southern, and broccoli raab is a classic Italian vegetable. Broccoli raab (a.k.a., broccoli “rabe”) is a bitter green vegetable in season starting in the fall. It’s commonly paired with fennel sausage in Italian-American cooking, but it’s also delicious as a side dish for pork and chicken.
Broccoli Raab
Ingredients:
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 large bunch broccoli raab
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed with the back of your knife and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (Meyer lemon zest is really good if you have on hand)
Kosher salt
Lemon slices for serving (or Meyer lemon slices)
Broccoli Raab with Pecans
Serves: 2-3
Procedure:
- Toast the pecans in a dry, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until just fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove the tough lower stems of the broccoli raab. Pick off and discard any yellowed or wilted outer leaves.
- In a medium pot, boil 2 quarts of water. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt and the broccoli raab. Boil for 4-5 minutes, or until the stems are just starting to feel tender. Remove the broccoli raab to a bowl, leaving a bit of water clinging to the vegetables.
- In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil and the garlic over medium-high heat until the garlic is golden in color and very fragrant, about 2 minutes (do not let brown!). Add the broccoli raab with a bit of the cooking water still clinging to it, a pinch of kosher salt, and the red pepper flakes.
- Turn the heat down to medium and saute, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli raab is very tender (this depends on how large and tough the stems are).
- Remove from heat and stir in the pecans and the lemon zest. Taste and correct for salt.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges on the side.
10 comments
Marc @ NoRecipes Feb 4, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Wow, that’s some gorgeous broccoli raab, where did you find that?! Love the combo you did here.
The Duo Dishes Feb 4, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Nice crunch with the pecans!
Jessica Feb 4, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I love broccoli rabe (raab)! That’s great that you paired it with pecans from your southern roots. Both of my parents are from the south so I know all about those pecans. Great dish!
Joan Nova Feb 4, 2009 at 7:22 pm
one of my favorite vegetables…especially with pasta!
Selba Feb 4, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Your broccoli raab with pecans looks so beautiful and yummy!
megan Feb 4, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I got my broccoli raab at my local food co-op!
gastroanthropologist Feb 5, 2009 at 6:08 am
Nuts are so underused with green veggies, but they go together so well. That picture looks so appetizing!
Mike Feb 5, 2009 at 10:48 am
My grandmother used to keep the lower stems of the broccoli raab attached and would instead use a vegetable peeler to get rid of the tough outer skin. It’s very labor intensive, especially when she was cooking for the 6 to 10 people who usually showed up for dinner, so she often recruited me for that task.
We’d peel them together while we sat on the couch watching The 4:30 Movie on Channel 7.
katie Feb 7, 2009 at 2:25 am
sexy pic. looks like such a homey dish. simple yet i wanna eat it now.
pecans + pepper flakes are kinda like cayenne pepper glazed pecans but easier!
yum.
megan Feb 9, 2009 at 8:02 pm
oh – yes you can totally peel very thick stems if you have them – this particular bunch of b.r. had fairly thin-ish, tender-ish stalks. Definitely would save some cash by peeling the stems.
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