By Mark Bittman
- Total Time
- 20 to 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(804)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Broccoli rabe can take whatever you throw at it and still shine. Its mild but distinctive bitterness dominates almost anything you cook it with — but what’s wrong with that? So a pasta sauce that features it teamed with garlic and chili flakes is a natural. Add bread crumbs for crunch and the dish is a real winner. You can use the same pot for cooking the broccoli and the pasta; you can use the same skillet for toasting the bread crumbs and finishing the dish. The whole thing will be done within 20 or 30 minutes, and it will showcase broccoli rabe beautifully, as it deserves.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- Salt
- ½cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
- 3 or 4cloves of garlic, peeled and slivered
- 1cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade
- ¼teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- About 1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
- 1pound spaghetti, linguine or other long pasta
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When oil is warm, cook garlic just until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bread crumbs and red pepper flakes and cook until bread crumbs are golden, 5 minutes or so. Remove and set aside.
Step
2
Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and chop. Cook pasta in same pot.
Step
3
Meanwhile, add remaining oil to skillet over medium-low heat. Add broccoli rabe and toss well; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When it is warm add garlic and bread crumbs and mix well.
Step
4
When pasta is done, drain it, reserving a little cooking water. Toss pasta in skillet with broccoli rabe mixture, moistening with a little reserved water if necessary. Adjust seasonings and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Ratings
5
out of 5
804
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Cooking Notes
David M
In Puglia (Apulia) this is often made with thick, round orecchiette pasta which are cooked together with the broccoli rabe like a risotto, that is, continuously adding just enough boiling water to keep the pasta covered. The heat can be turned off for the final few minutes with the pot covered to absorb the last of the water. The result is a creamier broccoli sauce. Regular broccoli works, but is different. A bit of anchovy is often added at the start for more flavor if there are no vegetarians.
Diana
Made this a number of times w/these mods: blanch broccoli rabe for 2 minutes only, chop; before adding garlic to oil, sauté 2 anchovies and when dissolved, add garlic and then panko and red pepper flakes (thanks Melissa Clark, great idea); toss broccoli rabe in remaining hot oil to heat, add cooked spaghetti, salt liberally, toss with cheese, add enough pasta water to thin; don’t add toasted crumbs to pan, but sprinkle them on top of plates of spaghetti/br/cheese mix to keep the crumbs crispy.
Gregg
This was pretty good. Recipe doesn't state fresh or packaged bread crumbs. I used a fresh bag of panko crumbs but I think if I make it again I'll take fresh bread and grind it up into crumbs on my own.
I cut the broccoli rabe into bite-size (about 1-inch) pieces but it really should be cut smaller than that for best results.
I doubled the recipe with no issues.
gk
Not bad, but I would cut back on the amount of oil and bread crumbs (too greasy) and increase the amount of garlic and red pepper next time, maybe even add a little lemon zest
Ron
I've been making a dish exactly like this except with regular broccoli for over thirty years. I manage to do it with only have one pot to wash. I call it "Bachelor Dinner #1 because I always have the necessary ingredients in the house, and it's quick and easy to prepare. Will try the broccoli rabe next time.
Alice K.
Made this dish for two (with leftovers intended) with approx. 1/2 lb of pasta but left all the other ingredients the same. This made the dish more vegetables than pasta, which is how we like it. It was delicious, and I'll make it again for sure.
Phyllis Schlesinger
Fabulous recipe, but I thought 5 minutes was too long to blanch. Blanched for 3 or 4 minutes, and still seemed too soft. (But delicious!)
Christa
I agree--I never blanch as long as 5 minutes. David Tanis recommends only a minute or two in his "One Good Dish" cookbook, and I have made his recipe *numerous* times--it's my go-to recipe--and I find a minute or two just fine and completely satisfactory.
Janice B
This is also wonderful over spaghetti squash. Goes nicely with broiled sweet sausage.
Ezjfield
This will be a go-to recipe. So easy and delicious. However, it does not serve 4 - 6. More like 3 - 4.
gabriela
Made this recipe twice before and the second time I dissolved anchivoes in the olive oil when toasting the garlic- it truly made ALL the difference and took the dish's flavor to another level!!
JoanC
This has been a go-to recipe for me since it first appeared in the Times in print. I use panko when I'm too lazy to make bread crumbs and it works well. I've also used whole-wheat pasta with success. As noted below, this recipe really only serves around 4, not 6, mainly because people will want seconds!
Christa
I like the idea of using whole-wheat pasta; broccoli rabe is certainly assertive enough to stand up to it, and it makes a great, earthy, flavorful combination.
Barbara
This is one of my favorite recipes. I always add a half teaspoon of peperincino (crushed red pepper) to the skillet when finishing the broccoli rabe, And these days, I always use whole wheat pasta. Delicious!
AnneC
This recipe is delicious! I always use homemade bread crumbs and fresh pasta. Makes a huge and flavorful difference!
Toni
Sauté chopped anchovy fillets with the garlic. Use orecchiette for the pasta.
judys
Made as written, except added anchovies with the garlic. Really nice light summer dish. I usually do broccoli rabe with Italian sausage and polenta, but that’s a different dish, heavier. This was nice on a hot night, with a salad and white wine.
K. Blackistone
Outstanding. One of my favorite recipes. With whole wheat spaghetti.
lisa a
This was excellent! I worked off of this recipe as a base and added spicy chicken sausage to it. I also followed the recs to add toasted breadcrumbs at end so as not to make them soggy. For some additional heat, I added some Calabrian chili peppers to the garlic and oil in the beginning. Little less oil and more pasta water. Def a keeper!!!
eileen
Very dry. Add cream or marinara sauce.
Ann
top with crumbled prosciutto. one slice between paper towels, 30 seconds in microwave.
dee from New Orleans
I had to eat this right out of the cast iron frying pan. Delicious! Cut back on the oil a little and added a few anchovies as another person suggested. Next time I will be more liberal with the chili flakes. This could easily be over cooked. Be careful with the blanched rabe, pasta and the sauce. Uncooked is ok since it will be sautéed later.Will definitely make again!
dimmerswitch
As with many Bittman recipes for us this was more inspiration road map than follow as gospel with result delicious at finish.*Reduced olive oil a bit. *Taking inspiration from Molly O'Neill's recipe (this site) for BR w/raisins & garlic we added some pan plumped golden raisins in step 3. *Used less'ish crumbs & tossed w/ pasta step 4 (our preference so they retain texture). Also for broccoli rabe fans see David Tanis recipe (this site) for Hot Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Frittata.
Wendy
Cutting the Broccoli Rabe and cutting it up, cooking it with the pasta cuts down the time... I would add MORE greens double it because they shrink a lot, I also doubled the garlic. I do not do parm (dairy and me sad story) so the olive oil and bread crumbs, chili flakes was like my parm, Just scrumptious. Next time I'd add more chili flakes too.... just MORE.
Kohli
We love Broccoli Rabe and this recipe was easy,delicious and healthy I did use 1/4 t sp Oregano and Fennel seeds each when sautéing garlic.It added to the flavor
cookingschoolgrad
I wanted to love this but other reviewers were correct in saying the broccoli rabe was cooked too long and turned mushy. The breadcrumbs got soggy in the oil. Oh well.
TM
I likely did something wrong but this was the worst dish I love cooked from NYT Cooking. Vile texture with zero taste
Cat
Made this with 8 oz buccatini, a can of chickpeas instead of the breadcrumbs, and a head of kale, and it turned out great! Used maybe half as much olive oil to cook the garlic and toast the chickpeas then added zest of 1/2 lemon, but finished with a drizzle.
Gabriele
I made this tonight with panko breadcrumbs, it was so simple and delicious. Came together quickly and packed a lot of flavor. I didn’t feel like cooking but this is the perfect recipe for those types of nights. Will certainly make again.
Katherine
The bread crumbs went from crispy to soggy the second the pasta was added to the mix. Better to add them on top at the end to keep the crunch.
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