Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Cime di rapa’

Cime di Rapa with Garlic & Chilli

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , on 5 May 2020| 1 Comment »

Cime di Rape sauteed with garlic & chilli

Cime di Rapa always arrives without warning and like asparagus it signals the start of Spring. Also known as Broccoli Rabe this has that hint of bitterness and delicious flavours that we love. A good substitute, though not the same plant, are Turnip Tops which may be easier to find in Northern Europe where we live. Our local farm shop, the McNally Family Farm, grow the southern European variety so we’re lucky to get this too.

Be careful when trimming that you discard any thicker parts of the stem as these will be woody when cooked.

Cime di Rapa with Garlic & Chilli – serves 4 as a side

  • 800g cime di rapa, cut the leaves and only the very finest stalks (discard the thicker central stalks) into 5-10 cm lengths, but keep the little central shoot that looks like broccoli intact
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • a good pinch of crushed dried chilli flakes

Boil the cime di rapa in plenty of boiling salty water until tender, start checking after 4 minutes but it may take longer if mature. Drain and spread out to steam dry or if you’re ready to go you can remove from the water with tongs, give them a shake and put straight into the pan as instructed below.

Fry the garlic in the oil until starting to brown. Add the chilli and fry for a few seconds, then add the cime di rapa, and plenty of seasoning. If fully drained add a splash of water to the pan too. Fry until hot and the water has been absorbed.

(Original recipe from Bocca Cookbook by Jacob Kennedy, Bloomsbury, 2011.)

 

 

Read Full Post »

Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 26 April 2020| 2 Comments »

Pasta with Cime di Rapa

So clearly this is not orecchiette but trofie is all we could get and we’re not fussy. We’re very excited to get cime di rapa, also known as broccoli rabe, and very similar to turnip tops. These delicious greens are grown in Ireland – who knew? You need to trim any of the thicker stalks as they tend to be a bit stringy and unpleasant, the rest however is delicious. Cheese is apparently not traditional on this dish but we like it.

Wine suggestion: Italian inspired and from the south we found a bottle of the Gulfi Vulcanzjria, a Chardonnay, Carricante, Albinello blend grown on Mt Etna. Fresh, full and intense with a stoney core. Good alternatives would have been Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, or some more serious, but not too hot Vermentinos.

Orecchiette with Greens – serves 4

  • 400g orecchette or whatever short pasta you’ve got
  • 500g cime di rapa (you could also use sprouting broccoli, kale or cavalo nero), discard the thicker stalks, leave the broccoli looking bit whole and shred the finer stalks and leaves into 3cm pieces
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, grated, to serve

Boil the pasta in load of salty water according to the timings on the pack.

Meanwhile, put the cime di rapa into a large pot and pour in about 3 cm depth of water and season with salt. Bring the water to the boil, then cover and cook for 5 minutes or until tender and wilted. Drain.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the garlic for a minute or so, don’t let it brown. Add the drained greens, chilli flakes and lemon zest. Season well with salt and pepper.

Reserve a mug of the cooking water before draining the pasta. Add a few tbsp of the water to the greens if they need moistening, then tip in the pasta. Toss everything together in the pan for a minute, then serve in warm bowls with the cheese sprinkled over.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)

Read Full Post »