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Grilled Broccoli Rabe With Romesco

Tender grilled broccoli rabe is smothered in a rich red pepper and almond sauce, then topped with crunchy toasted almonds. This is the side dish your summer needs!
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Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

Romesco Sauce.

  • 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained
  • 14.5 oz carton or can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted; keep 3/4 cup for sauce and leave 1/4 cup for garnish. *See notes for toasting.
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1-2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Grilled Broccoli Rabe.

  • 2 bunches of broccoli rabe, ends trimmed
  • 2-4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Materials.

  • Grilling basket or bag This isn't totally necessary, but definitely recommended.

Instructions

Romesco Sauce.

  • Place all of the ingredients (don't forget to set aside 1/4 cup of the toasted almonds for garnish) into a blender and blend until smooth. If you prefer a more textured consistency, you can pulse the ingredients until you reach your desired texture. When done, transfer your sauce to a jar or bottle and set it aside.

Grilled Broccoli Rabe.

  • To mellow out the kick of broccoli rabe, blanch it prior to grilling it. *See notes for the blanching process.
  • Once you've blanched your greens, dab them dry with a clean towel and set them into a large bowl. Drizzle some olive oil over your greens, hit them with some salt and pepper, and toss'em with your bare hands. (Depending on the size of the bowl you're using, you may have to do this in batches.)
  • Let the broccoli rabe sit for about ten minutes; in the meantime, preheat your grill to medium heat.
  • When your grill is ready, place the broccoli rabe into a grilling basket or bag. Again, depending on your materials, you might have to do this in batches; have a large clean plate or bowl ready to transfer your grilled broccoli rabe to at the grill between batches.
  • When all of your broccoli rabe is grilled and ready, set it on a serving plate or wide and shallow serving bowl, drizzle it with the Romesco sauce, and top with the 1/4 cup of toasted almonds you left aside. Keep some extra Romesco handy at the table for extra sauciness.

Notes

*Toasting almonds: Heat a dry pan over low heat. Place your almonds into the pan and let them toast, stirring often, for about five minutes or until the almonds turn a light golden hue and become aromatic.
*Blanching broccoli rabe: Fill a pot with enough water to cover all of your greens and bring the water to a rolling boil; add kosher salt to the boiling water.
If you want to keep broccoli rabe’s strong mustardy kick, blanch the greens for ten seconds, drain them, and immerse them into an ice bath to keep them from cooking more.
If you're looking for a more mellow flavor and tender bite, cook the greens for 2-4 minutes.
Cooking time depends on your “kick” and “crunch” preference.