November 13, 2005
pasta w/broccoli rabe and spiced pork
This is going down as my second favorite pasta, next to the Pasta Bolognese. I was really pleased with how delicious this turned out - I've made pasta with broccoli rabe before but this was phenomenal.
Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is a slightly bitter, green and leafy vegetable. It's a vegetable that's as close to my heart as a vegetable can be ... we ate it often when I was growing up (and still do). That was before it was trendy and popular in the U.S, and as usual, one of those "normal-to-me" homemade meals that I never tried to explain to my white-bread american friends. My parents commonly made it with sweet Italian sausage, or sauteed it with only a bit of garlic and a splash of olive oil. We ate big, steaming platefuls of it. Who would have known that our rustic dish would appear on high-class restaurant menus now - however microscopically presented -- a wee spoonful of it dotted with nasturnium and nestled into lobster tail?
When I fly home to NY, my family's new tradition is to meet me in a local restaurant directly from the airport. (This is in an attempt to keep me awake as long as possible to diminish the effects of jetlag.) We always meet in an Italian place and my usual meal, the one I think about during the long hours on the plane, is our traditional dish of broccoli rabe with thin slices of tender garlic and nutty olive oil. Just a side dish, mind you, because the portions are so huge.
Even though it is not easy to get ahold of broccoli rabe in places like Germany or other countries in the EU (except Italy of course), if you know an Italian market they will usually have it. It takes a bit of preparation but the result will be more than worthy of your effort. Hopefully my tips will help you.
So when you buy broccoli rabe, it comes as a bunch of attached stalks with small leafs that grow larger as you near the end of each stalk. Look near the heart of the stalk and you will find little florets that look very much like broccoli. The stems are useless so you want to discard these. Take each stalk and run your hand from bottom to top, taking the leaves with you. It doesn't matter if the leaves tear. The point is to get only leaves and get rid of the stalk. Once you get to the center, carefully remove and reserve the small leaves and the broccoli-like florets. Those florets are to broccoli rabe what the heart is to the artichoke.
Once you get the leaves free, rinse them and set them into a colander to drain. Now you can get on with the recipe!
For this pasta, you will want to use either orrechiette, or small ziti. Penne will also do. Many people boil the broccoli rabe before sauteeing it, but that removes too much of the flavor for this pasta dish. Resist the temptation to do this! Remember, we're removing the stalks and thus a lot of the bitterness.
pasta with broccoli rabe and spiced pork
1 kg broccoli rabe (before cleaning);
250 grams ground pork;
1/2 cup heavy cream;
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced;
1 tsp fennel seeds;
1 tsp dried oregano;
1 tsp dried thyme;
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes;
about 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano, or to taste;
olive oil;
salt and black pepper, to taste.
Method:
Set a large pot of water to boil on the stove.
With a mortar and pestle, crush the fennel seeds and then add the oregano and thyme. Grind in some salt and pepper and give the mixture a few more bashes with the pestle. Work this mixture into the ground pork with your hands (or a fork, if you're wimpy).
Put 3 tbsp olive oil into a sautee pan and when the oil is hot, add the pork. Give it a full minute before you start stirring it and then cook the pork, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until just cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon as set aside. You must be careful to keep the bowl away from sneaky fingers, as people tend to pick on the tasty mixture while the rest of the dish is being prepared!
Next, add a little more olive oil to the pan if necessary and sautee the garlic for one minute. Lower the heat and to this, begin to add handfuls of broccoli rabe. It is okay to leave water on the leaves, as this water will take on the essence of the broccoli rabe and flavor your pasta once you combine the two. As they wilt down, add more and more until all the broccoli rabe is wilted. Mix it well so that the garlic is incorporated. Add the chili flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is tender. Turn the heat off under the pan and cover.
(Don't let the broccoli rabe cook too much at this point, or you will lose the important juices in the pan.)
Cook your pasta and drain it. Put it back into the pasta pot. Give it a good hit of extra-virgin olive oil and stir. Add the broccoli rabe mixture and all the juices from the pan. Add the pork. Stir well until combined. Now, begin adding the heavy cream a little at a time, stirring. When the sauce is the thickness that you like -- just clinging to the pasta -- don't add any more cream. Toss in the parmesan -- this will thicken further -- and adjust the season with salt and pepper, and more chili flakes if you want. My point is to get the consistency that you personally like.
Plate the pasta and tear over fresh parsely. Sprinkle with a bit more of the parmigiano. Take pictures. Dive in.
If you can't find ground pork, sweet Italian sausage is perfect as well. Just remove it from the casings and saute.
In Munich, broccoli rabe is available from certain vendors at the Viktualienmarkt, but you can find a bounty of it for a much more reasonable price at the Spina Italian Feinkost shop. (Hell, if you don't go for the broccoli rabe, go for the the amazing selection of imported wine, vegetables, fresh pasta, cheeses, antipasti, jarred goods, and meat!)
