Creamy Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Italian Style

Superfood secret, see what the rabe is all about

 

25 min

Serves 2

Beginner

Cook it with Italians - Video tutorial

Why you should start eating rabe today

A cousin of the broccoli and turnip family, broccoli rabe is so jam-packed with nutrients that it is actually referred to as a superfood by experts.

Loaded with magnesium, antioxidants, zinc, protein, vitamin C, folate, calcium, vitamin A, iron and even fiber, it is an excellent ingredient for those who are trying to watch their calorie intake while getting the most of the little time they have to cook.

There are approximately 42 calories in one cup along with 4.8 grams of fiber. Since the Mediterranean Diet is focused on healthy digestion, meaning...staying "regular", it is no wonder that broccoli rabe is a go-to ingredient.

While it has amazing health properties and the ability to fight and prevent many illnesses and diseases while keeping you regular, like everything else, make sure you do not over consume broccoli rabe, or any other food for that matter. 

A balanced diet is what we are striving for and your organism (body) should take everything in moderation. 

Broccoli rabe usually comes in larger bundles, so if you are cooking for yourself or few people, you'll likely have plenty of leftovers. This is wonderful news since you can portion the remainder and freeze it.

Today we are making a primo (first in Italian). Primos are essentially entrees containing pasta or rice. They are generally rich in carbs and followed by a secondo (second in Italian) with protein-based ingredients.

Our creamy broccoli rabe pasta does a bit of both. Remember that in the Mediterranean Diet, carb rich dishes are to be consumed at lunch time. We want to ensure that we have the right energy that we need for the rest of our day and that we can essentially burn those carbs. 

100 grams of pasta is the perfect amount which has been followed for centuries. If you're super hungry, do not load up on more pasta, simply fill up on more of the topping. In this case, you can add another handful of broccoli rabe to your plate. 

Rabe can be used also as a second at dinner. Veggies should never be the side, it should always be the protagonist. The side, and smaller portion, can be fish and chicken (about once or twice a week) and on rare occasions red meat. 

Remember that animal products and/or by-products are generally difficult for our bodies to process and digest. If you are somebody who struggles to stay regular, you will certainly want to refrain from consuming those often. 

Freezing the remainder of your broccoli rabe is an excellent idea as you'll have an abundant portion of nutrients and oxidants ready to go. Apart from using it with pasta, you can heat them up with some beans and eat with some bread, make an omelet, simply add them in their natural state with some extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it for an added antioxidant kick and so much more.

The first time you make this may take a while as you try to rummage through the batch of rabe to figure out which pieces to keep. We like to put on some music and take our time, the health benefits are well worth it. You'll get much faster by mid-batch and you'll be adding this magical ingredient to all sorts of recipes in the future. 

Before making it for a large group of people, or even your children, you should note that rabe can have a bitter taste. It is much like raw kale. While we add flavour to this recipe, it is hard to mask all of the bitterness while keeping the meal healthy and not compromising the promising effects on our bodies. 

• 1 batch of broccoli rabe, very vague but don’t worry if you get too much
      *the next recipe is all about different ways to use broccoli rabe

• 2 medium cloves of garlic 

• 2 small anchovies (optional) it helps mask the bitterness of the rabe

• 1 hot chili pepper, chili flakes will do (optional)

• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

• 200 grams of orecchiette pasta 

• Salt to taste

You'll need:

1. Large pot

2. Stainless steel strainer/steamer insert

3. Cutting board

4. Large pan

5. Blender or immersion blender

Let's cook!

1. Open the batch of broccoli rabe, place on cutting board and start by removing any brown leaves. All dark green leaves and even older leaves can stay and are super healthy, don't throw them out. 

2. Cut off the dried ends of all of the stems. Peel the larger stems, removing the hard outer (green) layer of all thin and large stems (even the large trunks).

3. As you peel you will see some stringy elements much like celery, peel those off. Don't worry about peeling these stringy elements from all of the stems, they are not harmful. Some people do not like the texture of the strings but if you like celery then you're ok.                       

4. Once you have eliminated any brown leaves, stringy bits and have chopped off all of the dried ends, don't forget to place these in the compost/organic bin. We always try to do our part for nature. 

5. Collect all of the rabe that you'll be using and chop it up into smaller pieces. The size doesn't matter too much, the important thing is that they evenly cook.

6. Place the batch into a large strainer and rinse and wash them thoroughly. You want to repeat this process several times to ensure that any dirt is washed off well.

7. Place a large pot of water on the stove and turn it on high.

8. Place your stainless steel strainer over the top with the freshly washed rabe inside. Cover and bring the water to a boil.            

9. Once the pot is to a boil, let steam for 5 minutes.

10. During this time take a large pan and set it to low.

11. Drizzle the pan with extra virgin olive oil, enough to ensure that the entire pan is coated.

12. Add 2 thinly-sliced cloves of garlic, or more to the pan - depending on how much you like garlic.

13. Chop up the chili pepper (or use flakes) and add to the oil and garlic in the pan.

14. Add two small slices of anchovies and break them up with a wooden spoon in the pan. Don’t worry, this won’t make the dish taste like fish, you will likely not even notice it. It is merely adding some extra nutrients allowing us to salt the dish without actually adding salt.

15. The idea is to let the garlic, chili peppers and anchovies marinade in the olive oil and absorb the flavours. Do not cook these though. You don't want them to get brown. It should take no more than 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat until you are ready to add the rabe.

16. Check on the steaming rabe, open the cover and stir the rabe and allow to steam evenly.    

17. Cover and let steam for another 5 minutes until tender to your liking. 

18. Once the rabe is cooked, remove from the strainer and add a few handfuls into the pan. One handful for each serving.    

19. Do not throw out the water from the pot. It will be a greenish or yellowish colour but it will have loads of flavour and nutrients. Add 100 grams of pasta for each serving to this water and let it cook.                            

20. Take another handful of rabe per serving and place it into a bowl and blend well, an immersion blender will do.Add some extra virgin olive oil and/or water from the steaming pot to help it blend and become creamy.

21. Place the remaining unused rabe into a ceramic or stainless steel container to cool off and conserve. Once they have cooled, you can divide them and freeze them for future meals. There is a lot you can do with rabe and we will be covering more rabe recipes here.

22. Stir the rabe in the pan along with the oil, garlic and pepper over low heat for a couple of minutes and let all of the ingredients "marry" each other - marinating them all together.

23. Now you have your cream as well as the marinated rabe in the pan ready.

24. Check in on the pasta ensuring to stir it once in a while so it doesn't stick to the pot. Add some hot water only if really needed.

25. Remove the pasta one minute before the cooking time so it is al dente. You always want to eat pasta al dente, meaning that it is not fully cooked and/or mushy as this helps with digestion. 

26. Strain the pasta into a bowl, do not throw out that beautiful yellow/green water that you cooked it in. 

27. Add the pasta to the pan of rabe along with the cream that you have prepared over low heat. This will give the al dente pasta some time to finish cooking while absorbing the flavours of the rabe and cream.

28. Stir well only for about a minute or two once all of the pasta has been covered.                                                    

29. Dish out the pasta and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 

Enjoy! Last words

If you want to get the most out of the Mediterranean Diet, stick to drinking room temperature water with your meal and/or an occasional glass of red wine (yes, another antioxidant). 

Room temperature water helps us stay hydrated while aiding our digestive tract. Cold liquids do the opposite, they actually block our digestive system. So if you are somebody who is trying to stay or become "regular" follow the Mediterranean Diet and do NOT consume cold liquids, otherwise you will contrast all of your hard work in the kitchen. 

The Mediterranean Diet is also about avoiding processed foods as much as possible. This also means that you should be adding dressings and sauces to the table when you serve/eat your meals. Loading up on unnecessary sugars and preservatives wreaks all sorts of havoc in our systems.

Learn the art of enjoying simple foods with naturally delicious flavours.

We care about your results, let us know if/when you see any results and remember that it takes some time for our bodies to adjust. 

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