Rapini e pasta

Rapini & Pasta

When my grandmother was eleven years old she already knew how to make fresh pasta. It was integral to the Italian diet. So you can imagine that it was at the center of most of our family meals. The slightly bitter greens with the pillowy texture of homemade cavatelli and melting Pecorino Romano cheese made rapini and pasta the ultimate comfort food.

Serves four.

Step 1 | Wash, separate, and cut the rapini into bite-size pieces.

Step 2 | Boil rapini in water for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 3 | Prepare pasta as per directions on package. If using fresh pasta, cook-time should be about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add garlic, hot pepper (if using) and ¼ cup of olive oil to a large pan. Heat on medium until garlic is golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will become bitter.

Step 4 | Save about 1 cup of pasta water, then drain cooked pasta.

Step 5 | Add pasta, ¼ cup of pasta water, and rapini to heated olive oil and garlic mixture. Then toss. Simmer until liquid has evaporated (about 3 minutes). If pasta looks too dry, add a little more pasta water.

Serve and enjoy!