Sauteed Rapini with Garlic

This is an easy recipe to make delicious sauteed rapini with garlic perfect for a side dish, sandwich topping, or cold snack! Rapini, or broccoli rabe has such a distinct and unique flavor and if you haven't had it, you're missing out!

Serve alongside Pesto Stuffed Chicken or Classic Italian Fried Meatballs for a delicious meal!

The Flavor of Broccoli Rabe

Rapini, also known as broccoli rabe, is my absolute favorite vegetable. I can remember being in grad school, on the phone with my grandma as she walked me through this recipe and how to make Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe.

If you don't typically eat broccoli rabe, sauteed rapini with garlic, be prepared for something different. Its signature bitter flavor is actually normal. People tend to shy away from bitterness, but our tongue has receptors specifically for bitterness. Cooked the right way, sauteed rapini with garlic is one of the most enjoyable vegetables to eat, hot or cold.

It's a similar vegetable to eggplant in that if it has the wrong texture, it can ruin the dish. Sauteed and steamed perfectly and it's delicious. Similar to eggplant in Pasta alla Norma, where the eggplant has to be sliced and fried just right.

Ingredient Notes

Rapini. When choosing your rapini, choose a vibrant green bushel with the least amount of yellowing on the leaves or florets. Sometimes it's unavoidable. You can see in the image above, the yellowing of the florets. Always chop off the end of the stalks before cooking.

Olive Oil. I stress this in every single blog post, but choosing quality olive oil for recipes like this is so important because the flavor will be present throughout the entire dish.

*Please see more information on ingredients in the recipe card below.

What is a good Broccoli Rabe Substitute?

There are some other leafy green vegetables that can take the place of a sauteed rapini. These are substitutions, but they still won't give you the same unique bitter flavor.

• Mustard Greens. These can be substituted for the rapini in this recipe but keep in mind, mustard greens tend to have a little spicy and peppery flavor with their bitterness. It will definitely be a different experience.
• Collard Greens. This might be one of my least favorite vegetables. Collards have a slightly bitter flavor but resemble cabbage overall in their flavor profile. They come from the same species of plant as broccoli and cabbage.
• Swiss Chard. Swiss chard has a similar texture to broccoli rabe but has a sweet and earthy flavor with way less bitterness than rapini.
• Broccolini. A cross between broccoli and Chinese broccolini, this vegetable has almost nothing in common with rapini except the way it looks. It is tender and resembles more of a broccoli flavor.
• Broccoli. Broccoli is too distinctly different from rapini to be a real substitute. People always ask if you can substitute it but the reality is that rapini is an extremely unique flavor and not much can actually be a substitute.

How to Make Sauteed Rapini with Garlic

This recipe takes less than 15 minutes, from start to finish. I like to use a dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot to really conduct the heat through.

Step 1: Chop off the ends of the rapini, rinse, and strain. In a dutch oven, add the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

Step 2: Add the crushed red pepper and saute for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Step 3: Add the rapini and stir well. Add the water and cover the pot for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Remove the cover and stir until the rapini is covered in the sauce. Continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes or until the rapini has softened but the stalks remain slightly stiff. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Remove the sauteed rapini and serve.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve Sauteed Rapini with?

This vegetable dish goes well with so many Italian classics!

• It pairs well with every chicken dish whether it's Cast Iron Chicken Breast, Chicken Francese, or Chicken Saltimbocca.
• It's great on the side of your Sunday meal like Authentic Bolognese, Italian Braciole, or Authentic Italian Sunday Sauce.
• Add it to the side of your favorite seafood dishes like Fried Flounder Oreganata, Pan-Seared Vermillion Snapper, or Pistachio Crusted Fish.
• Add it to a sandwich like Eggplant Parm Sandwich, The Italian Breakfast Sandwich, or Peppers and Eggs Sandwich.
• Add it to the side of some Pasta with Cauliflower, Creamy Red Pepper Sauce or Classic Linguine Alla Puttanesca.