Roasted Broccoli Rabe and Pesto Flatbread
These bold naan flatbreads feature spicy basil-almond pesto, roasted broccoli rabe and creamy feta. They make a wonderful party appetizer or light meal.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
Late summer is full of irony. Here we are, when fresh produce is perhaps most abundant, and gardens are overflowing with ripe tomatoes, peppers and basil… and the last thing I want to do is cook dinner. If there’s ever a time to take advantage of shortcuts like pre-made flatbread, the time is now!
These quick flatbreads are made with store-bought whole grain naan that I topped with homemade basil pesto, creamy feta and broccoli rabe tossed in olive oil and red pepper flakes. As broccoli rabe roasts in the oven on top of the flatbread, its natural bitterness seems to dissipate as the leaves develop a delicate, kale chip-like crunch.
Broccoli rabe is still somewhat new to me (it’s not something I grew up eating, that’s for sure), but I find myself craving its distinctive, pungent flavor. I have a hard time describing the flavor, but it’s a little like its cousin, turnips, or mustard greens. Like most dark green leafy things, is chock-full of nutrients.
If you’re ready to break out of your kale rut, please give it a shot!
Roasted Broccoli Rabe and Pesto Flatbread
These bold flatbreads feature spicy basil-almond pesto, roasted broccoli rabe and creamy feta. They make a wonderful party appetizer or light meal. Instead of naan, you could use pita bread or one 12-inch pizza crust. Recipe as written yields 3 small flatbreads.
Ingredients
Basil-almond pesto ingredients
- 2 cups (3 ounces) lightly packed fresh basil
- ½ cup sliced almonds, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ lemon), plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the broccoli rabe
Flatbread ingredients
- 3 whole grain naan flatbreads, about 7 inches in diameter
- ¾ cup (about 3¾ ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- Handful broccoli rabe (about ¼ pound)
- Red pepper flakes, for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare the broccoli rabe by rinsing it and patting it dry. Slice off the tough lower ends and any stems that are greater than ¼-inch in diameter. Toss the rabe with a light drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Rub the olive oil onto the leaves to make sure the rabe is lightly and evenly coated with oil. Set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, almonds, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Process the pesto while slowly drizzling in the olive oil, until the mixture is relatively smooth and uniform.
- Place the naan on an oven-safe metal cooling rack, if you have one, then place the rack on a baking sheet to catch any drips (the rack helps the naan get nice and crisp). If not, just place the naan directly onto a baking sheet. Spread pesto on the naan and top with crumbled feta cheese. Top with an even layer of broccoli rabe and a light sprinkle of sliced almonds.
- Bake until the broccoli rabe is tender and the leaves are deep green and crispy, about 8 to 9 minutes. Squeeze a small wedge of lemon over the naan and top with a light sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Let the naan cool slightly before slicing it with a sharp knife or pizza cutter and serving.
Notes
Change it up: Feel free to substitute pine nuts for the sliced almonds, goat cheese for the feta or arugula for the basil.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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I’ve never tried broccoli rabe but I’m always interested in trying new veggies! I haven’t made a flatbread all summer and I think it’s high time I do, especially one as beautiful as this.
I’d say! :) Thank you!
There is something magical about cheese, red pepper flakes, and broccoli rabe… I love this recipe and I’ll be making it this week!
Oh my gosh, Cookie eating that raw broccoli rabe!!! What a trooper/cutie pie. I get the same way in the summer with cooking. Literally everything is in season, my own garden is exploding, and when the dinner bell rings, it’s always “Hmmmm… A platter of snacks maybe? Or just wine? How ’bout wine?” Love this recipe, love broccoli rabe. So good, girl.
She bounces like a pogo stick at the kitchen counter to steal my broccoli rabe! You should see it. Wine for dinner… my kind of meal. Wish you lived closer so we could clink glasses!
This really looks wonderful. I have never seen broccoli rabe here in South Africa, but will be on the lookout for it. Must be good, even gorgeous Cookie is eating it, so cute :-). Have a lovely day.
Thank you, Lynne! It is delicious. Hope you can find some.
Love these flatbreads! I’m a broccoli rabe fan and red pepper flakes are a must!
These flatbreads are beautiful — store-bought naan can really be a lifesaver when you want a quick meal!
I did grow up on broccoli rabe and it is totally one of my favorite veggies! I feel like pairing it with cheese tames it a bit so AWESOME job on this flatbread/pizza!
Pretty sure I could eat flatbreads everyday! Love the broccoli rabe addition to this one!
Is it bad if I come here half for the recipes, half for the pictures of Cookie?? XD She is just so cute! What a great little helper :)
What a great idea, combining broccoli rabe with pesto! We are huge pesto fans around here and are always looking for new ways to use it.
I love all the green goodness in this post!
I’ve never had broccoli rabe- it always struck me as expensive broccoli, and broccoli’s never been a vegetable I crave. But it sounds fantastic. And I think one of the reasons why this time of year there’s so little motivation to cook is that so many of the things available to eat are perfect raw.
This was super easy and amazing — I subbed ricotta for the feta (trying to use up what I had in the fridge!) and actually really loved it that way. It mellowed out the tartness from the lemon juice and the heat from the red pepper flakes. Trying to talk myself out of making this for a second night in a row, but may not be successful… Thanks for another hit, Kate!
Thanks, Claire! So glad you enjoyed it. I bet ricotta was awesome here, great idea. Usually, I think it’s a little bland, but there are plenty of bold flavors elsewhere in this one!
I just tried this recipe a few hours ago for dinner and it was fantastic. I’m a bit new to vegetarianism/veganism (I stopped eating meat about six months) and your blog has made it so wonderful. But I was wondering, could you recommend any of your recipes that I can pack in the morning and take as a school lunch?
Hi Ellie! So glad to hear you’re enjoying my recipes. I actually have a category of recipes that pack well for lunch over here! I hope it’s helpful. They’re not so much sandwiches, but the recipes that are particularly good as leftovers and pack well.
This flatbread recipe was easy to make and even easier to eat! Simply put, it was scrumptious. Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
Hooray! Thank you, Kristin!
Made this for dinner tonight! Well, I used what ingredients I had and just followed the recipe as closely as I could. I used spinach instead of basil (because that’s all I had) and just added a drop of Basil Essential Oil instead. Used mozzarella cheese instead of feta and regular broccoli instead if broccoli rabe. It was still good! Really missed the saltiness of the feta cheese though, so I just sprinkled a tiny bit of kosher salt on top. Goat cheese would probably be yummy too!
I made this for Easter. I was a little worried that my meat-and-potatoes type family members wouldn’t be into this but it went over really well.
It was so flavorful! I’m not usually crazy about broccoli rabe, but the mustardy flavor worked really well with all the basil and tartness. I used pine nuts because of a nut allergy and successfully used a blender to make the pesto.
The recipe was very easy and it seems easy to modify. The feta is pretty salty so I might use goat cheese and an additional vegetable next time just for my own personal preference.
Thank you for sharing this! As a fellow vegetable fanatic it’s great to find ways to get more converts :)
I would make this with Goat cheese – So much more tasty to me than feta. Why almonds versus walnuts or pine – curious.
Hi! Can this made with ricotta? I have a container I need to use and trying to find a fun party app to make for this weekend!
Hi Jen! Sorry for my delay. You could try topping it with some. Did you try it?
No need to apologize! I stuck with the feta and it god RAVE reviews, this one is a keeper and will be on repeat in our house :)
Great! Thank you for reporting back.