Along with cabbages, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, broccoli raab and broccoli are in the brassica family. They look like modified versions of one another -- broccoli with its thick, branching stems, large florets and few leaves, and broccoli raab with its long, thin, uniform stems, small florets and pronounced leaves.

Both have a similar green vegetal flavor, but broccoli raab is bitter -- surprisingly so to the uninitiated -- while broccoli raab tends more toward the sweet. Despite that main difference, each works pretty well in place of the other whether in classic Italian pastas, soups, stews, simply steamed or sautéed alone with a splash of lemon or vinegar and olive oil.

Both pair especially well with pork and sausages, raisins, pine nuts, bell peppers and just about any kind of cheese -- especially ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella.