Bitter greens, good fat, and real garlic. Twenty minutes, one pot, built for the waning moon.
Time 25 minMethod One potDiet Vegetarian
4 servings
Ingredients
Short pasta, orecchiette or similar400 g
Rapini, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces(about 1 bunch)450 g
Extra virgin olive oil, divided4 tbsp
Garlic, thinly sliced and rested 10 minutes5 cloves
Chili flakes½ tsp
Lemon, zest and juice1
Pecorino, finely grated, plus more to serve¾ cup
Sea saltto taste
Steps
1
Boil the pasta
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until just shy of al dente.
2
Add the rapini
When 3 minutes remain, drop the rapini straight into the same pot with the pasta. The blanch tames its edge without erasing it.
3
Reserve and drain
Scoop out 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta and rapini together.
4
Bloom the garlic
Same pot, medium heat: 3 tbsp of the oil with the garlic and chili. Cook gently until the garlic is pale gold, no further.
5
Bring it together
Return the pasta and rapini with a splash of reserved water. Toss hard for a minute or two until everything turns glossy.
6
Finish off the heat
Off the burner: lemon zest, lemon juice, pecorino, and the last tablespoon of raw oil. Loosen with pasta water until silky.
7
Serve
More pecorino and a pinch of chili at the table.
Notes
Do not skip the blanch: cooking the rapini in the pasta water is what rounds off the sharpness. Raw rapini stays aggressive; the quick blanch is the whole trick.
For a fuller dinner: cut a chicken breast into strips, season with salt, and sear in a little olive oil in the pot before anything else, 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside, then fold back in at the end with the lemon.
Gentler greens: broccolini works the same way and lands milder if rapini runs too bitter for the table.
Keeping: best the day it is made. Rewarm with a splash of water to loosen, never dry in the microwave.
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