Is broccoli rabe on a cheesesteak a bold NJ twist or culinary controversy? Broccoli rabe sparks debate among cheesesteak puristsBut this isn’t just any cheesesteak. Since then, I’ve had broccoli rabe every which way: with sausage, tossed with pasta, alongside roasted pork, stuffed into roast pork sandwiches, paired with mushrooms and polenta, and my absolute favorite — pasta with broccoli rabe and sautéed calamari. When I first heard “broccoli rabe cheesesteak,” my immediate reaction was a hard, instinctive, “No way.”And yet…This is New Jersey. Because if there’s one thing worse than broccoli rabe on a cheesesteak, it’s not being open-minded enough to find out whether it actually works.