OLIVE OIL-BRAISED CHICKPEAS AND BROCCOLI RABE

Olive Oil-Braised Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe image

Braising in a pool of olive oil can turn tough ingredients creamy and luxurious without any of your attention. Canned chickpeas turn buttery-soft, and broccoli rabe's bitterness succumbs to an oil seasoned with garlic, rosemary, chile and fennel seeds. Speaking of that oil, it's as much a reason to braise as the silky chickpeas and rabe themselves. Soak it all up with crusty bread, or ladle it over pasta, yogurt, feta or mozzarella. The underpinnings of this recipe - chickpeas, vegetables, olive oil and seasonings - also make it great to riff on. Consider simmering chickpeas and olive oil with carrots, harissa and black olives; cherry tomatoes, thyme and lemon slices; or potatoes, shallots and cumin seeds.

Provided by Ali Slagle

Categories dinner, for two, weekday, weeknight, beans, vegetables, main course, side dish

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 rosemary sprig
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), woody stems trimmed
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and black pepper
Crusty bread, for serving

Steps:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the oil, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds and chile flakes. Cook until the mixture is fragrant and the garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, then add the rabe and toss until coated in oil. Scatter the chickpeas around the rabe and stir to coat in oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cover with a lid or foil and bake for about 40 minutes, until the chickpeas are soft and crispy in parts and the broccoli rabe is tender, but the stems are not mushy.
Let cool slightly. Before serving, remove the rosemary and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the seasoned oil.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 663, UnsaturatedFat 47 grams, Carbohydrate 30 grams, Fat 58 grams, Fiber 11 grams, Protein 12 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 654 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams