Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 1  onion yellow with the grain) sliced into slivers, lengthwise (
• 1 large bunch broccoli rabe rinsed cut into 2-inch long pieces (raab, rapini)
• 2  garlic cloves sliced
• 0.3 teaspoon chili flakes red
• 4 servings salt 
• 4 servings pepper black freshly ground

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• pot
• kitchen towels
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat.
2. Add the onions, spread out in a thin layer. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and then lightly browned.
3. (Tip: to speed up the caramelization process you can sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the onions.) If the onions start to dry out at all, lower the heat (you can add a little water to them too.) They should brown, but not get dried out.
4. Blanch the broccoli rabe: After you start the onions, bring a large pot of water to a boil. The onions take at least 15 minute to cook, so you'll have time to get the water boiling. Salt the water (about a tablespoon of salt for 3 quarts of water).
5. Prepare an ice bath, fill a large bowl half way with ice water.
6. Add the rabe to the boiling water. Blanch for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the boiling water and put in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Shocking the rabe with ice water will also help keep the rabe bright green colored.
7. Note that some people blanch their rabe, some do not. Rabe can be rather bitter, so blanching will help take the edge off of the bitterness. If your rabe isn't particularly bitter, or you like bitter greens, you can easily skip this blanching step.
8. Drain the ice water from the rabe. Use a clean tea towel to gently wring out the excess moisture from the rabe.
9. Sauté the rabe and onions with chili flakes and garlic: Once the onions are lightly browned, remove them from the pan to a bowl. Using the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and heat the pan on high heat.
10. Add the chili flakes. Once the chili flakes start to sizzle, add the garlic.
11. Once the garlic just starts to brown at the edges add the broccoli rabe and the onions.
12. Toss the rabe mixture so that it gets well coated with the olive oil. Cook on high heat until most of the moisture is gone, about 5 minutes if you blanched first, a minute or too longer if you skipped the blanching.