8 Broccoli Rabe Recipes That Prove Just How Versatile This Vegetable Really Is Get to know and love this slightly bitter, cruciferous green with our best recipes. Close Credit: Justin Walker Delicious, hearty, and slightly bitter broccoli rabe hardly needs more dressing up than a slick of olive oil. Still, as these broccoli rabe recipes reveal, this green shines as an ingredient—it easily adapts to techniques including roasting, boiling, braising, and sautéing, becoming the basis of an antioxidant-rich meal. Its rich green stems, abundant leaves, and succulent florets are also packed with minerals and vitamins. One of broccoli rabe's best nutritional qualities is its glucosinolates, which break down through digestion into biological compounds known for their anti-cancer properties. They're also responsible for the vegetable's bitterness. Here are some of our favorite quick, easy ways to prepare broccoli rabe. 11 Broccolini Recipes That Make the Most of Broccoli's Milder Cousin 01 of 08 Broccoli Rabe Pesto With Whole-Wheat Pasta and Turkey Sausage Blanched broccoli rabe, pine nuts, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes form the foundation of this unique pesto. Toss the sauce with whole wheat pasta, then drizzle with a generous hit of good olive oil. View Recipe 02 of 08 Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe Pesto Credit: Julia Gartland A deeply green broccoli rabe pesto is made by blanching the vegetable, then blitzing it with sweet walnuts (or pecans), salty pecorino, fresh lemon juice, and spicy olive oil. The sauce collects in the hollows of orecchiette, making the most of every bite. View Recipe 03 of 08 Pressed Sandwich With Prosciutto and Broccoli Rabe Credit: Justin Walker This sandwich can be a tailgate star or a cozy home supper. Ciabatta paninis are stuffed with garlicky, sautéed broccoli rabe, prosciutto, Peppadews, fresh basil, and tapenade, then pressed for eight hours in the fridge, and cooked in a skillet. View Recipe 04 of 08 Vegan Lentil Soup With Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe Credit: Justin Walker Warm with the aroma of cumin and coriander, this hearty vegan lentil and tomato soup is spiked with earthy broccoli rabe. View Recipe 05 of 08 One Pot Pasta With Broccoli Rabe and Bacon Adding pieces of broccoli rabe to the pasta water shortens the prep time for this satisfying, one-pot dinner. It's finished with bacon, garlic, and walnuts toasted in the rendered bacon fat in the same pot. Don't forget the Parmesan. View Recipe 06 of 08 Sausage and Mushroom Burgers With Broccoli Rabe Credit: Bryan Gardner The Italian hero goes burger: good ciabatta, fennel-scented sausage, tender broccoli rabe—all gussied up with caramelized mushrooms and draped in a coat of melty provolone. Plus, mayo! Sometimes more is more. View Recipe 07 of 08 Broccoli Rabe Dumplings Stuff dumpling wrappers with vivid green broccoli rabe, garlic, and pine nuts and serve them—old-school style—on spoons as a party opener. Or on a platter with our dipping sauce—the perfect snack for a night of binge-watching. View Recipe 08 of 08 Chicken-Thigh Piccata with Broccoli Rabe Credit: Nico Schinco Is piccata sauce (lemon juice, capers, butter, and broth) the best thing ever invented? Possibly. Served across savory, juicy chicken thighs, atop a tender bed of braised broccoli rabe, it's delicious acidity permeates every bite of dinner. View Recipe Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Vegetables