Italian Broccoli Recipes

ITALIAN BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Place broccoli in a steamer basket; place in a small saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 5-7 minutes or until crisp-tender., Meanwhile, in a small skillet, combine the oil, garlic and pepper flakes if desired. Cook over low heat until garlic begins to brown, about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic and discard. Add broccoli and toss to coat. Season with salt. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN-STYLE BROCCOLI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in oil for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Place the broccoli in a steamer basket.
• Steam over boiling water in a large covered saucepan for 3-5 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender.
• Transfer to large bowl.
• Saute the garlic, red pepper and shallots in a large skillet with the olive oil for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add the broccoli and mix well.
• Add the salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and Asiago cheese.
• Toss lightly.

SICILIAN PASTA AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Heat the water for your pasta while you prepare the broccoli.
• In a shallow, 10-inch saute pot, heat the 1 cup olive oil over medium-high heat (see Cook's Note). Add the broccoli to the oil and season it with salt. Saute the broccoli for about 4 minutes, or until it takes on a toasty color. The broccoli will absorb a lot of the oil, so if you find your pot getting dry, just add a little more oil to it. Throw in the garlic and cook for about another minute, until it's slightly brown. Don't burn the garlic! Take the broccoli off the heat and set it aside.
• Prepare the penne according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and toss it in the pot with the broccoli, garlic, and olive oil. If the mixture seems dry, add a little more oil.
• Toss in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, stir, and garnish with the parsley.

ITALIAN-STYLE BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, anchovy paste, and salt in the bowl of a small food processor; blend into a paste.
• Remove leaves from broccoli rabe and cut off and discard the bottom 1/4 of the stalks. Cut remaining stalks into pieces.
• Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook uncovered for 1 minute. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in the ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain. Wrap broccoli rabe in cheesecloth, place in a strainer, and run under water for 10 minutes. Periodically press the rabe to "wring out" any bitter fluids. Pat dry and transfer to a resealable bag. Add anchovy paste and crushed red peppers; marinate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until browned and fragrant but not burned, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the skillet. Add broccoli rabe and cook until fork tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a plate, top with pine nuts, and drizzle with lemon juice.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI SALAD

Steps:

• Rinse the sliced shallot under cold water and transfer to a large bowl.
• Cut the stalks away from the broccoli heads. Using a knife or vegetable peeler, remove the fibrous outer layer of the stalks so its light green insides emerge; compost or discard the outer layer. Thinly slice the stalks crosswise, then thinly slice the heads into bite-size pieces. (A mix of shapes and sizes adds texture to the salad, so chop up the broccoli a few ways; there's no one right way to go about it.) Transfer to the large bowl as you go, then transfer any loose bits from the cutting board to the bowl.
• Season the broccoli generously with salt and pepper, then add the almonds, pickled peppers, olives, oil, vinegar and provolone. Toss vigorously with a spoon until everything is combined and the broccoli is shiny with oil.
• Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar as needed. Let sit at least 10 minutes before serving. The salad improves with age as its flavors meld, and it can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Before serving, bring to room temperature and adjust salt, pepper, oil and vinegar to taste, as flavors change in the fridge.

STEAMED BROCCOLI ITALIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Rinse the broccoli and trim off the very bottom of the thick stem. You can either steam the entire head whole or cut it up into florets.
• Steam the broccoli (but don't over cook it).
• Lay out on a platter.
• Drizzle with lots of fresh lemon juice.
• Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to taste.
• (Optional) add fresh minced garlic to taste.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• This can be served either hot or room temperature.