Cooking with Broccoli

Don't turn up your nose at broccoli until you at least try the vegetable in these two recipes: Broccoli-Nut Salad and Penne Pasta with Broccoli Rabe.

Nut-like and mildly sweet, savory and wholesome, broccoli is one of those vegetables that sometimes gets overlooked at the grocery market. Many people have memories of childhood experiences with broccoli-some may not have been too pleasant. But for the D'Arrigo brothers of Salinas, Ca., broccoli has been more like a best friend.

More than 70 years ago, the brothers planted broccoli seeds sent from their father in Italy. With that first crop, they began marketing Andy Boy broccoli and established America's first commercial broccoli farm. Today, their produce company, Andy Boy Produce, grows, packs and ships broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower, romaine hearts and other vegetables to markets across the United States. For more information about D'Arrigo Brothers Ranch in Salinas, Ca., visit their Web site at www.andyboy.com.

The next time you're in the grocery market, why not pick up a head or two of broccoli (and broccoli rabe) and try it in the following recipes? These dishes were designed to take the blandness out of traditional steamed broccoli by combining it with other ingredients and flavors.

Broccoli-Nut Salad Recipe

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup regular mayonnaise or light mayonnaise
• 1 pound (about 6 cups) broccoli florets
• 8 ounces bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and crumbled
• 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup seedless red grapes
• 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:

1. For the dressing, in a small bowl, gradually stir the vinegar and sugar into the mayonnaise until the mixture is well blended.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine the broccoli, bacon, nuts, grapes or raisins, and the onion. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss the ingredients gently to mix. Cover and chill the salad for 2 to 24 hours before serving.

Penne Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

SERVES 8

Ingredients:

• Salt, for cooking broccoli rabe and pasta
• 1 pound broccoli rabe
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup sliced and pitted black olives
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring a large amount of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the broccoli rabe under cold running water to remove any grit or sand; drain well. Trim the bottoms of the stems of the broccoli rabe with a paring knife. Cut the stalks crosswise into 2-inch pieces. (You should have about 8 cups.) Blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling salted water for about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli rabe to a colander or strainer; let drain.
3. Bring the water back to a boil. Add the pasta. Cook the pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente. Transfer the pasta to a colander or strainer to drain.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, olives, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir the ingredients until the garlic is just tender but not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the drained broccoli rabe and 1/4 cup of hot water to the skillet. Cook and stir the ingredients for 3 to 5 minutes more or until the broccoli rabe is just tender. Add the drained pasta to the broccoli rabe mixture and toss to mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes more, or until the pasta is warm.
5. Serve the broccoli rabe and pasta with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Broccoli Florets

Broccoli-Nut Salad

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds