Roasted Broccoli Rabe

You ate too much pizza the night before...
Make some broccoli!

Last night, my friend E had his annual birthday pizza party, and I ate a slice too many.  I wanted a light lunch today and I remembered that I had some fresh broccoli rabe (or rapini), and some not so fresh cherry tomatoes that needed to be used up.  Older tomatoes are great when they're cooked, and I love the taste of roasted broccoli.  Roasted garlic sounded good, too.  I decided to combine the three things and pop them in oven on high heat.  I ate this side with some quinoa drizzled with tahini sauce; balance was restored.

This could also be good served as a side with a lean protein.  The dish is light and flavorful. The tomatoes fall apart and become almost sauce-like.  The garlic flavor is present, but mellowed by the roasting process. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 bunches of broccoli rabe, chopped into large chunks (about 4 cups chopped)
1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Prep your ingredients: chop up the broccoli rabe into large chunks, cut the tomatoes in half, and then peel and halve the garlic cloves.

Place all of the ingredients on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper (to taste... just remember you can always add more salt after it's cooked).  Toss everything with your hands until the oil evenly coats the ingredients.

Place the baking sheet in the oven.  Let the broccoli rabe cook for 7-10 minutes, or until it slightly browned, a darker shade of green, the tomatoes are softened, and the garlic is golden brown.  I like my veggies al dente, but you can cook it for longer if you like yours soft.