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Friarielli e Salsiccia – Authentic Neapolitan Recipe

Friarielli e Salsiccia is one of the most beloved dishes in Neapolitan cuisine — a bold, rustic combination where the pleasant bitterness of broccoli rabe meets the rich, fatty depth of pork sausage. This is street-food soul plated at home, the kind of dish Neapolitans have been making for generations without ever needing a recipe. Get the pan smoking hot and do not rush the process: the slight char on the friarielli is not a mistake — it is the point.

10Prep (min)
25Cook (min)
35Total (min)
4Serves
EasyDifficulty
Friarielli e Salsiccia – Authentic Neapolitan Recipe

Ingredients

  • 800 g fresh friarielli (broccoli rabe / rapini), tough stems removed
  • 400 g Italian pork sausage (preferably Neapolitan fennel sausage), sliced or crumbled
  • 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
  • 2 dried red chillies (peperoncino), crumbled, or to taste
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 80 ml dry white wine
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • Black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Wash the friarielli thoroughly in cold water, drain well and shake off excess moisture. Remove only the thickest, woodiest stems but keep the tender stalks, leaves and florets intact.
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, wide skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic cloves and crumbled chilli and fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden — do not let the garlic burn.
  3. Add the friarielli to the pan in batches if needed, tossing to coat in the oil. Season with half the salt. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens have wilted down significantly.
  4. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high and continue cooking for a further 4–5 minutes, stirring, allowing any excess water to evaporate and letting the friarielli pick up some colour. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  5. In the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the sausage. Cook over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until the sausage is well browned and cooked through.
  6. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the base. Let the alcohol bubble and evaporate for about 1 minute.
  7. Return the friarielli to the pan with the sausage. Toss everything together over high heat for 2–3 minutes so the flavours meld. Taste and adjust salt and chilli. Remove the garlic cloves before serving if preferred.
  8. Serve immediately, directly from the pan, with good crusty bread alongside to scoop up the cooking juices.

Tips from the kitchen

💡 Do not blanch the friarielli first — cooking them directly in olive oil with garlic and chilli preserves their distinctive bitter flavour, which is the whole point of this dish.
💡 Use a Neapolitan-style pork sausage seasoned with fennel seeds if you can find it; the anise note pairs beautifully with the bitter greens. In a pinch, any coarse pork sausage works.
💡 Leftovers are spectacular the next day stuffed inside a crusty Neapolitan panino or used as a pizza topping (friarielli e salsiccia pizza is a Naples staple).

Frequently asked questions

Can I use frozen broccoli rabe instead of fresh?

Fresh is strongly preferred because frozen broccoli rabe releases a lot of water and turns mushy, losing the texture and slight char that make this dish. If fresh friarielli are unavailable, look for rapini or regular broccoli rabe at Italian or international grocery stores — they are the same plant.

How do I reduce the bitterness of the friarielli if it is too intense?

The bitterness is a defining feature and should not be eliminated entirely — it is what balances the fatty sausage. However, if it is overpowering, you can blanch the friarielli in well-salted boiling water for 2 minutes and drain before sautéing. Be aware this will mellow the dish significantly.

Is this dish served as a side or a main course?

In Naples it is traditionally a contorno (side dish), often accompanying grilled or roasted meats. However, with the sausage providing substantial protein, it works perfectly as a weeknight main course served with crusty bread, or as a pasta sauce tossed through rigatoni or orecchiette.