Broccoli Rabe with Sausage or Shrimp

                                                                                 

For Bariatric Friendly - Do not Add Pasta.  

    

Serves 4

  Broccoli Rabe 2 Bunches

Sausage cooked and chopped 4 links
Tomatoes chopped or sundried tomatoes

Garlic Sliced-  3 cloves

Red bell peppers chopped 1/2

Mushrooms Chopped 4 pcs

Chicken Broth college inn  1 or 2 cans
White Wine 1 tbs

Penne Pasta cooked  1 lb

Grated Cheese

The time consuming part of this dish is cleaning the Broccoli Rabe.

I cook about 4+ bunches of Broccoli Rabe at a time. Need a commerical  14 qt size pot to do this.   Lay them straight in a roasting pan to cool off, cut them into pieces and then freeze portions in a ziploc bag. So, when I want to use a recipe with Broccoli Rabe I can prepare it in a few minutes.

Or of course, you can cook 1 bunch at a time.

 Fill large pot with water little bit of salt and boil water. While you are waiting for the water to boil.   

Broccoli Rabe: Cut off ends of stalk and peel off outer layer. As you can see in picture once you cut off end and peel back it comes off easily. 

Place in large bowl and rinse in cold water.

STEPS BELOW IMPORTANT so that you don't over cook the Broccoli Rabe.     Put all the Broccoli Rabe into the boiling water.

COVER.

When water boils over again.  Take off  Cover. Cook for 3 minutes.

Then strain out into a collander into another pot. to save water to cook pasta in.  Pasta will have better flavor cooked with the broccoli Rabe water.   or you can put another pot of water with  alittle salt for your pasta.                                                                           

  Cook Pasta aldente and strain into collander and rinse with cold water so they won't stick together.   Leave Pasta on side for later use.

  Cooking the Broccoli Rabe this way won't make it soooo bitter .   If you like it very bitter than steam them.

Sautee sausage and chop. leave on side.

                                                                         


Fry chopped garlic in a little bit of olive oil to lightly golden brown. (can use oil left from frying sausage for nice flavor and just add more oil if needed as you cook.)

Add in chopped red bell peppers and chopped tomatoes or sundried tomatoes. Stir and Cook for 3 minutes.

Add in sliced mushroom.  Stir and Cook for 1 minute.

Add cooked and chopped sausage. Stir and cook another minute.

 Add Broccoli Rabe 3- 4 inch lengths  and  White Wine

Then add Chicken Broth.  Once that comes to a boil --

Add in cooked pasta, grated cheese and stir for 1 minute.

Done!!  Enjoy!!!

Instead of Sausage you can use:

cooked sliced Chicken Cutlet, or

cooked shrimp (cook the shrimp with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Add to mixture right before pasta)
Instead of Tomatoes add sundried tomato (sliced)