Italian-Inspired Broccoli Rabe Dish

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 bunches broccoli rabe, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1 wedge lemon

Step 1

Blend together half a cup of olive oil, garlic, anchovy paste, and a pinch of salt in a small food processor until it turns into a smooth paste. Next, trim the broccoli rabe by removing the leaves and cutting off the bottom quarter of the stalks, then chop the remaining stalks into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2

Fill a large bowl with ice water and bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli rabe for about a minute, then drain it and immediately dunk it into the ice water to stop it from cooking further. After a few minutes, drain again and wrap the broccoli rabe in cheesecloth. Place it in a strainer and rinse under cold running water for about 10 minutes, squeezing occasionally to get rid of any bitterness. Pat the greens dry and toss them into a resealable bag with the anchovy paste mixture and some crushed red pepper flakes. Let it marinate for half an hour.

Step 3

While that’s marinating, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often until they’re golden and fragrant—this should take around 2 minutes. Set them aside, then add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan over medium-low heat. Cook the broccoli rabe until it’s tender and has a little color, about 10 minutes.

Step 4

Serve the greens topped with the toasted pine nuts and a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten everything up.