Best 20 Italian Broccoli Recipes

ITALIAN-STYLE BROCCOLI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in oil for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI WITH PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook, uncovered, 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place broccoli in ice water. Drain and pat dry., In a large nonstick skillet, saute peppers in oil for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the broccoli, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer. Add the tomato; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Place the broccoli in a steamer basket.
• Steam over boiling water in a large covered saucepan for 3-5 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender.
• Transfer to large bowl.
• Saute the garlic, red pepper and shallots in a large skillet with the olive oil for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add the broccoli and mix well.
• Add the salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and Asiago cheese.
• Toss lightly.

CAVATELLI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• In a kettle of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente.
• While pasta is cooking, squeeze sausage from its casings into a large heavy skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring to break up chunks, until no longer pink. With slotted spoon transfer sausage to a bowl, reserving drippings in skillet.
• Cut broccoli rabe into 1-inch pieces and sauté in reserved drippings, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown. Add garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add broth and raisins and simmer until broccoli rabe is just tender, about 3 minutes. Add butter, stirring until incorporated.
• Drain pasta and return to kettle. Add broccoli rabe mixture and sausage and heat through if necessary.
• Serve pasta with Parmesan.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe dish, combine the cauliflower, broccoli, carrot and water. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Immediately place vegetables in ice water. Drain and pat dry., Drain pasta and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, vegetable mixture, water chestnuts, olives and onion. In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing, dill and salt. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

SAUTEED POLENTA WITH SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• On a lightly oiled baking sheet spread warm polenta about 3/4 thick and cool to room temperature. Polenta may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown sausage. Add water and cook sausage, covered, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook mixture until any remaining water is evaporated. Transfer sausage with tongs to a bowl and reserve fat remaining in skillet. Cool sausage slightly and slice diagonally.
• Cut polenta into 1 1/2-inch diamond shapes or squares. In skillet sauté polenta in 2 batches in reserved fat over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, adding additional oil to skillet if necessary, until golden on both sides. Transfer polenta as cooked with a slotted spoon to bowl with sausage and cover.
• In skillet heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté broccoli rabe with salt to taste, stirring, until just wilted. Add garlic paste and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring, until tomato paste is incorporated and sauce is slightly thickened. Add sausage and polenta and cook until heated through.
• Serve polenta sprinkled with Parmesan.
• To make basic polenta:
• In a heavy saucepan bring water and salt to a boil and gradually whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook polenta over moderately low heat (it should be barely boiling), stirring constantly, until very thick and pulls away from side of pan, about 40 minutes for cornmeal and about 15 minutes for instant polenta. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm. Stir polenta just before using. Polenta will keep warm, covered, about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.
• Note: In the traditional method of cooking polenta, forty minutes of constant stirring is required to achieve a lumpless texture and fragrant flavor. However, Italian-food expert Marcella Hazan has developed a method that involves very little stirring during this time. We believe it produces a very good polenta, one nearly as flavorful and smooth as the traditional procedure. To make satisfactory polenta in a real hurry, an imported instant polenta (precooked cornmeal) is available. This cooks in a mere fifteen minutes.

ITALIAN-STYLE BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, anchovy paste, and salt in the bowl of a small food processor; blend into a paste.
• Remove leaves from broccoli rabe and cut off and discard the bottom 1/4 of the stalks. Cut remaining stalks into pieces.
• Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook uncovered for 1 minute. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in the ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain. Wrap broccoli rabe in cheesecloth, place in a strainer, and run under water for 10 minutes. Periodically press the rabe to "wring out" any bitter fluids. Pat dry and transfer to a resealable bag. Add anchovy paste and crushed red peppers; marinate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until browned and fragrant but not burned, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the skillet. Add broccoli rabe and cook until fork tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a plate, top with pine nuts, and drizzle with lemon juice.

QUICK ITALIAN BROCCOLI SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, onion, water chestnuts and mushrooms. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Add tomatoes; gently toss.

HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE FRITTATA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook for 1 minute, just to wilt, then remove, rinse with cold water and drain. Roughly chop greens, then squeeze to remove excess water and set aside.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage (remove casings from links first) and cook, stirring and mashing, until sausage is in large, well-browned crumbled pieces, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove cooked sausage, blot on paper towels, and set aside.
• Add olive oil to skillet. When oil is hot, add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, then add garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more. Turn off heat and stir in chopped greens and reserved sausage. Let mixture cool in pan.
• Spoon dabs of ricotta over greens mixture, then sprinkle evenly with provolone, Parmesan and mozzarella. Pour seasoned eggs over, tilting pan to distribute.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden and eggs are no longer runny at the center. (Use a skewer or paring knife to check; residual heat will continue to cook frittata as it cools.) Let cool at least 15 minutes, then cut into wedges.

BROCCOLI RABE WITH HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
• Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking up the sausage with the back of a fork until crumbly. When the sausage begins to release its fat, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage is browned, about 7 minutes. Pour off as much of the fat as possible.
• Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the chicken broth. Lay the broccoli rabe over the sausage, season with the salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Divide the broccoli rabe among 4 plates. Spoon the sausage and broth over it and serve immediately with roasted potatoes.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Place broccoli in a steamer basket; place in a small saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 5-7 minutes or until crisp-tender., Meanwhile, in a small skillet, combine the oil, garlic and pepper flakes if desired. Cook over low heat until garlic begins to brown, about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic and discard. Add broccoli and toss to coat. Season with salt. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI MEDLEY

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 inch of water to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cauliflower and broccoli. Cover; simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain.
• Add dressing to vegetables; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

ITALIAN PORK SANDWICH WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND SHARP PROVOLONE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle the pork tenderloin generously with salt. Coat the preheated grill pan with oil. Sear the tenderloin on all sides until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 145 F, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Toast the rolls, cut side-down, on the grill pan allowing the bread to crisp up and soak up the flavor from the pork. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, Parmesan, Calabrian chiles and vinegar in a small bowl.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with salted water and ice. Add the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 1 minute. Remove from boiling water and drop immediately into the ice bath. Once cool, remove, drain and roughly chop.
• Coat a large skillet with oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe, season with salt and saute until heated through.
• Build the sandwiches: Spread the mayonnaise-chile mixture on the toasted sides of a roll. Top the bottom of the roll with half the pork, broccoli rabe and provolone cheese. Top with top piece of the roll and transfer to a baking tray. Build the second sandwich with the remaining ingredients. Bake just until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
• Slice each sandwich in half and serve!

SAUTE OF CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI - ITALIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Bring salted water to a boil. Parboil the broccoli for a minute and remove. Add the penne and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.
• In a large skillet heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken and saute, stirring continuously until no longer pink. Add the garlic and saute a few moments, then add the white wine, oregano and tomato sauce. Add the parboiled broccoli and simmer just to reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with Italian parsley. Drain penne and transfer to a bowl. Top with chicken and broccoli saute and serve.

DEEP-DISH PIZZA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and run cold water over. Drain well again and squeeze out excess liquid.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, chili flakes and garlic in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe, salt and pepper and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
• In a separate large saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the sausage links and using a wooden spoon, gently break up the meat into coarse pieces. Cook until deep golden brown. (You do not need to cook all the way because it will continue to cook in the oven.) Combine the sausage and the broccoli rabe and let cool slightly.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and oregano, bring to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.
• Dissolve the yeast and water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the oils and mix for 30 seconds. Add the cornmeal, 3 cups of the flour and salt and beat for 5 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour and knead, using the dough hook for 2 minutes. Add the butter and knead until incorporated. The dough is a very moist dough so do not add more flour unless absolutely needed.
• Place the dough in a large bowl lightly oiled with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and allow to double in size again.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place 2 pizza stones into the oven to preheat as well. Generously oil 2 (9 or 10-inch) deep dish pie pans with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons for each pan).
• Divide the dough in half and press the dough out slightly on the counter top. Place the dough in the prepared pans and push out to cover the bottom and up the side of the pans. (If using the 9-inch pans, pinch a 2-inch ball off each dough to make a better fit.)
• Combine the cheese in a bowl. Place half of the cheese of the bottom of each pie crust. Divide the sausage filling over the cheese and then top with the remaining cheese, patting the cheese firmly down over the filling. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the cheese to cover completely. Place the pans into the oven on the pizza stones and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Let the pizza rest on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before slicing.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI SALAD

Steps:

• Cook broccoli to tender crisp and cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, add broccoli, onions, black olives and peppers.
• Add Italian dressing and toss to coat evenly.
• Chill for 1-2 hours and stir before serving.
• Serve as a salad or over pasta.

BROCCOLI RABE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Place the sausage in a 9-inch pie plate, and cover with a paper towel. Cook at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 11 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover. Pour off liquid and set aside.
• Place the broccoli rabe in a 14-by-9-by-2-inch oval dish. Toss with the olive oil and red-pepper flakes, if using. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook for 8 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Stir in salt, pepper and cooked sausage. Serve alone or over cooked pasta.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE-BROCCOLI QUICHE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet; add sausage, garlic and onions and saute until brown.
• Remove from heat and slice sausage into smaller pieces.
• Arrange meat mixture in the pie crust; add broccoli and 3/4 cup cheese to the pie crust.
• In a bowl, beat together eggs and half-and-half.
• Pour egg mixture slowly over ingredients in pie crust, being careful not to pour above the ridge of the pie pan.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top.
• Place in center of preheated 350° oven and bake for 45 minutes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGES WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages. Cover skillet and cook until sausages are brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Add garlic to drippings in same skillet and stir 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 cup broth. Cover skillet and cook until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add polenta; mash with potato masher until smooth. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup broth and cheese. Simmer until polenta is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season polenta with salt and pepper.
• Spoon polenta onto 2 plates. Top with sausages and broccoli rabe.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE, BROCCOLI, AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush olive oil over spaghetti squash halves; place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until skin is easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
• Start frying sausage in a large skillet when squash has 5 minutes left to bake. Remove squash from the oven and let cool. Add broccoli, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and sage to the skillet with the sausage; cook and stir until onion softens, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Scrape insides of squash into spaghetti strands with a fork. Stir into the sausage mixture until well combined. Season with garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Shave Pecorino Romano cheese on top.