broccoli rabe
Americannoun
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a cruciferous plant, Brassica rapa rapa, of the mustard family, also classified by other names, especially B. rapa ruva, B. rapa rapifera, and B. ruvo.
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the slightly bitter, dark green leaves and clustered flower buds of this plant, eaten as a raw or cooked vegetable.
Etymology
Origin of broccoli rabe
First recorded in 1925–30; perhaps alteration of Italian broccoli di rapa “flowering tops of the turnip”; cf. broccoli ( def. ), rape 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Visitors to Puglia, a major producer of durum wheat, can try handmade pastas in a variety of shapes, paired with broccoli rabe, sea urchin and even a horse ragù.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
The broccoli rabe was turned into a kind of cruciferous pesto.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
This charred broccoli rabe is inspired by Spanish ajo blanco soup, also known as white gazpacho.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2023
Orecchiette seems like it's always paired with sausage and broccoli rabe.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2022
She found fresh whole wheat pasta and cooked it with turkey sausage and broccoli rabe.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
