I am about to share a recipe with you that is a true gem. It is delicious, simple, and involves only 6-7 ingredients. It is perfect for a weeknight meal, and it is great heated up for lunch the following day. It has leafy green veggies, pasta, garlic, and some healthy fat included. And you can cook it all in one pan, if you so choose.
I found this recipe through the blog Smitten Kitchen, which is a delightful food/cooking blog. Smitten Kitchen named this recipe “Pasta with Garlicky Broccoli Rabe“. First the recipe, then some pictures along with a narrative of my cooking process:
Pasta with Garlicky Broccoli Rabe
Adapted from Gourmet, September 2006
- 1 pound pasta, whatever shape you like (but chunky ones will match up better with the rabe, I used Cavatappi)
- 1 pound broccoli rabe, heavy stems removed, remaining stems and leaves cut into 1- to 2-inch sections (Smitten Kitchen recommends that you match your pasta in length. I also often use broccolini in the place of broccoli rabe since it has a slightly less bitter taste)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed (I typically use 3 cloves, depending on the size of the cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more or less to taste
- About 1 heaping teaspoon Kosher salt (or more to taste)
- To serve: Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
I decided to add some protein into my meal. I always keep individually packaged chicken breasts in my freezer, so I de-thawed two of them to go with the pasta. I think that spicy pork or chicken sausage would also be an excellent addition to this recipe, if you’re looking to add some protein into the mix.
Bring a huge pot of salted water to a boil. While I was waiting for the water to boil I cut the chicken up into bite sized pieces and started sauteing the chicken in a non-stick pan with a bit of olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper.
Once the water is boiling add pasta and five minutes before its cooking time is up, add the broccoli rabe. It will seem like too much for the water, but with a stir or two, the rabe should wilt and cook alongside the pasta.
Drain rabe and pasta together and pour into serving bowl. In the same pot or a tiny one, heat the olive oil with the garlic, pepper flakes and Kosher salt over moderate heat, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the garlic becomes lightly golden. I always use a separate small sauce pan so that I can prepare the olive oil/garlic sauce simultaneously while the pasta and broccoli is boiling.
Pour mixture over pasta
and toss to evenly coat. Shower with grated parmesan cheese and eat at once.
This recipe has become a standby for me. It is so good that I find myself barely even chewing it because I’m shoveling it into my mouth so fast. Chris also loves it, which is a plus since I know it’s an easy meal we can enjoy together. You can really use any veggie you want in place of the broccoli rabe, staying mindful of the time it will take that vegetable to cook in the water with the pasta. MAKE THIS RECIPE IMMEDIATELY. IT IS SO GOOD!
