Savoury & Style

I wasn’t very familiar with rapini before meeting my husband. The Italians love this slightly bitter green also known as broccoli rabe that’s very slightly reminiscent of broccoli even though it isn’t related to broccoli at all. If you don’t want to boil it, You can pan sauté it with olive oil and chilli flakes until it wilts down and it makes an amazing side dish or an amazing pizza topping (just make sure you drain it well). This isn’t a typical pasta recipe that has a sauce, I would consider it more of a ‘dressed’ pasta. I love using spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine for this recipe but any short pasta would be really good too. Don’t skimp on the garlic, it’s the best part. Serves 2-4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

1 450 g (1 lb) package of your favourite pasta

1 bunch rapini washed and roughly chopped (including the stems)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 -4 large cloves garlic grated

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 cup of reserved pasta water

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

In a small bowl mix olive oil, grated garlic cloves and chilli flakes. Set aside

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions making sure your water is well salted. When the pasta is half way through it’s cooking time, add the chopped rapini to the pot an continue to cook until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain.

While your pasta is draining in the same pot you cooked the pasta in, heat up the olive oil mixture on low heat for a minute or 2 being careful not to burn your garlic. Turn the burner off. Add the pasta back into the pot and toss around to coat with the oil/chilli flakes/garlic. If your pasta is too dry add a bit of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmesan and extra chilli flakes if you like it hot.