Rapini, Cannellini Bean, and Ricotta Crostini Adapted from Saveur.com 1/2 (6-oz.) loaf country bread, halved and sliced 1⁄2” thick 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish 1 clove garlic, peeled, plus 6 cloves minced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 bunches broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed 1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes Zest of 1/2 lemon 1 tbsp. minced rosemary 8 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup ricotta
Heat oven to 350°. Place bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; bake, flipping once, until golden and toasted, 20–25 minutes. Transfer bread to a cutting board; rub with whole garlic clove. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rapini until crisp-tender, 2–3 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry; roughly chop. Heat 2 tablespoons oil, half the minced garlic, and the chile flakes in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat; cook until garlic is soft, 1–2 minutes. Add rapini, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6–8 minutes. Stir in lemon zest; transfer to a bowl. Wipe skillet clean; heat remaining oil and minced garlic, plus the rosemary over medium-high heat until garlic is soft, 1–2 minutes. Add beans, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are warmed through and slightly toasted, 5–7 minutes. To serve, spread ricotta over each bread slice; top with rapini and cannellini beans. Drizzle with more oil; season with salt and pepper.
1 medium garlic clove 1/8 cup water 1/4 tsp sea salt A pinch of freshly ground black pepper A pinch of sugar 2 tsp butter* (or oil) 1 bunch rapini (broccoli rabe) 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Wash the rapini. Peel the stems and discard any bad leaves. Mince the garlic. Heat a large frying pan that has a lid over medium-high heat and add the water, salt, pepper, sugar, butter and garlic together. *Note: For plant-based, use a non-dairy butter such as Earth Balance. Once the water just begins to boil and the butter has melted, add rapini and cover. Let steam for about 2 minutes. Toss the rapini to fully coat it with the butter and garlic. Replace the lid and let steam for another 2 to 3 minutes. Once the rapini has just cooked through, squeeze the lemon into the pan and toss one final time. Serve immediately.
Viola Buitoni’s Sautéed Broccoli Rapini With Potatoes (Rapi e Patate alla Viola Buitoni) Via huffingtonpost.com Serves 6 for a side dish
America has at last discovered this wonderful vegetable, but I’m convinced that people would like it more if it were prepared correctly. The secret to cooking broccoli rapini is to boil the greens briefly before sautéing to rid them of their excessive bitterness and to tenderize the stalks. Some people discard the stalks, but the thicker ones, once peeled, are delicious. To avoid overcooking the delicate buds, cook the stems for a minute first before adding the florets to the pot. After draining, the rapini are finished in the saute pan with olive oil and garlic. This second step when cooking vegetables is called “ripassare,” meaning that the vegetable is passed again in the frying pan.
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled 1 bunch broccoli rapini, about 1½ pounds 1 tablespoon sea salt 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 6 large cloves garlic, bruised but left whole
In a saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. They should be fully tender but not falling apart when cooked. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin from the potatoes, cut them lengthwise into quarters, and then cut crosswise into medium-thin slices. Set aside and let them cool.
Detach the stems from the tops of the vegetable. Using a small, sharp knife, peel the skin from the thicker lower stalks of the rapini (most of the bottom portion of the stalk) and cut them crosswise into approximate 2-inch lengths.
Fill a large pot with plenty of water to cover the greens and bring to a rolling boil. Add the peeled stems along with the salt, cover partially, and cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Now add the florets and cook them together with the stems until the vegetable is tender but not mushy, 3 to 4 minutes more. Note that if the stalks are at all crisp, they will remain bitter. Drain the greens, reserving a little of the cooking liquid and set it aside separately.
In a nonstick skillet large enough to accommodate the potatoes and the greens, warm the olive oil over low heat and add the garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the garlic is nicely softened but not colored, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a side dish. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the cooked potatoes. Sauté until they are golden and crispy all over, about 12 minutes, then transfer to another side dish. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat, return the rapini and the garlic cloves to the pan. Sauté until the greens are nicely coated with the olive oil and the garlic and heated through, about 3 minutes; if they appear a little dry, add a little of the reserved cooking water as needed. Return the potatoes to the skillet and toss all together. Adjust for seasoning and serve immediately.
Orecchiette with Rapini and Goat Cheese From saveur.com
Kosher salt, to taste 1 bunch rapini (about 1 lb.), roughly chopped 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 cloves garlic, crushed 3⁄4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes 12 oz. orecchiette 2 tbsp. lemon zest 4 oz. goat cheese, softened
Bring an 8-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add rapini and boil until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rapini to a large bowl of ice water; chill. Drain greens, pat dry, and set aside. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add chile flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add greens, toss, and remove pan from heat; set aside. Meanwhile, bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer pasta and lemon zest to reserved skillet over high heat. Toss to combine and season with salt. Divide pasta between bowls and add a dollop of goat cheese to each.
Rigatoni With Italian Sausage and Rapini Red Sauce By Justin Severino from www.wsj.com Serves 4 Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, skins removed and meat broken into bite-size pieces 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped 1 pound rapini, cleaned and cut into ½-inch pieces 1 (28-ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes Sugar, to season 1 pound rigatoni Pecorino Romano, Parmesan or fresh ricotta, to garnish Snipped chives, to garnish (optional)
Set a large pot filled with salted water over high heat. Bring water to a rolling boil.
Meanwhile, set a medium pot over medium-high heat and slick with olive oil. Once hot, add sausage and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in rapini, tomatoes and ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until rapini tenderizes, about 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
About 10 minutes before sauce is ready, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and add noodles to sauce. Cook until pasta drinks up sauce, about 1 minute more. Add splashes of water to stretch the sauce if necessary. Garnish with cheese and chives