rappini--what is it?

[djoygirl]

Hello! Can anyone tell me what rappini is, exactly? Is it the same thing as broccoli rabe, and how should I use it?

[sneezles]

Rapini is just another name for broccoli rabe. According to The Food Companion:
It is popular in Italian cooking. Can be sauteed in olive oil and garlic, served as a side for meat or used as the basis of a pasta sauce. It can also be steamed, lightly braised or balanched before sauteing, to reduce its bitterness before sauteing.

[djoygirl]

Thank-you, Sneezles http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I can't wait to try it!

[miswin]

Another way we like to eat rapini is to mix it with pasta and add olive oil and garlic. Make it the same way you would broccoli and pasta. And yes, the only people I know who eat this are Italians.

[SusanL]

Miswin, I agree about the Italians. Believe it or not, my Italian grandmother would go into the fields and cut wild rapini for dinner. I have gone into the cornfields and haven't ever seen any. But, that was over 30 years ago! We still love rapini sauteed with the garlic and olive oil. You can steam it and eat it cool with a light vinegrette (sp?) Where is the spell check when you need it?? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif