Rabe With Pasta Recipes

BROCCOLI RABE WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Trim and wash the broccoli rabe, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash in cold water, and drain.
• In a large kettle, add enough salted water to cook the broccoli rabe. Bring to a boil, and cook until crisply tender. Do not overcook. Remove the broccoli rabe, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid in the kettle.
• Bring the kettle with the cooking liquid to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to the package instructions. Do not overcook. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet, and add the garlic. Cook briefly, do not brown. Add the pepper flakes, the sweet pepper, rosemary and oregano, and cook, stirring briefly. Add the crushed tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the drained pasta, the cooked broccoli rabe and the reserved cooking liquid, the remaining olive oil and the Parmesan cheese. Cook, stirring and tossing, for 1 minute. Check seasoning; serve immediately on hot serving plates.

PASTA WITH BROCCOLI RABE (CIMA DI RAPA)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook tortiglioni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add anchovies and garlic. Saute until slightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes, but do not overcook garlic, as this will make the dish bitter. Add broccoli rabe and stir to coat. Alternately add 1/2 of the bread crumbs and 1/2 of the Pecorino Siciliano cheese, stirring constantly, adding 1/2 tablespoon oil while mixing.
• Drain pasta and fold into the mixture, taking care not to break the pasta. Fold in remaining cheese and bread crumbs gently. Top with remaining oil. Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle with red pepper.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Cut the broccoli rabe into 3 to 4 inch pieces, discarding the stems. In a large pot of rapidly boiling water, blanch the broccoli rabe until tender and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Before you drain broccoli rabe, reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. Drain and rinse the broccoli rabe with cold water until it has cooled off. Spread it out on a towel to finish draining.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions until al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, place 2 tablespoons of water into a cold skillet with garlic and sausage and then turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and sausage is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour reserved broccoli water into pan with sausage.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain it and place back in pot you cooked it in and season with salt. Pour sausage sauce over pasta and stir in cooked broccoli rabe. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.
• If the Queen's coming to dinner: Garnish with fresh bread crumbs and/or freshly grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese.

RABE WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Trim off the larger, tough stems of the rabe, leaving only the tender, slender stems, leaves and bulbous offshoots. If desired, you may trim the outer tougher stems by scraping the sides or, preferably, pulling away the outer coating of the stems.
• Rinse the reserved edible portions, leaving the water that clings to the pieces.
• In a saucepan heat the oil and add the garlic, pepper flakes and anchovy. Add the rabe with the water that clings to the pieces. It is not necessary to add more liquid, but watch the vegetable carefully as it cooks so that it does not stick and burn. Cover closely and cook over moderate heat. Turn the broccoli pieces over and over so that they cook evenly. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until the pieces are tender. Do not overcook, or they will become mushy.
• Meanwhile, bring the water to the boil with salt to taste. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often, until tender, 10 minutes or longer. Drain.
• Empty the pasta onto the rabe and stir in the butter. Toss gently to blend.