Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and White Beans

We used to have dinner with our neighbors in Washington at least once a week. Our taste in food was nearly identical and we loved to cook, eat, and drink together. One the best gifts our upstairs friends gave me was a love of the combination of broccoli rabe (rappini) and white beans. I soon adopted the standard sauteed rabe and white beans as a side with chicken, fish, or pork. As I learned more about the green vegetable, I realized that the result of my work was sometimes uneven because of the common bitterness in the greens. Sometimes it's not a problem, but in order to know for sure if your rabe will be bitter, taste a floret. If it's pleasant and sweet, cook it together with the beans and oil directly. If it's bitter or unpleasant at all, blanche the greens for the final 2 minutes of the pasta's cooking time in the water and you'll find the bitterness is left with the water and the pasta is unaffected. I like to add cubed poached chicken breast to the beans and rabe as an extra boost of protein and texture, but this could easily be a vegetarian / vegan dish, as well. If made with a different shape pasta such as rotini or penne, this could easily be a casserole.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Chicken, and White Beans
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

• 1 lb thin spaghetti pasta, cooked al dente
• 2 cans white beans (Great Northern, Cannellini), drained and rinsed
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached in stock and white wine, cooled and cubed
• simmer equal parts chicken stock and white wine in a sauce pan and cook chicken gently until firm through, about 12 minutes
• 2 bunches broccoli rabe, stems trimmed off and coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 2 tbsp butter (optional, for richness)
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat, to taste)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Poach the chicken, cube, and set aside. Boil the pasta according to package instructions, minus about 1 minute. Taste the pasta to make sure it's done. If your broccoli rabe is bitter, blanche it with the pasta for the last couple of minutes of cooking. I use a large pot with a pasta insert so it's easy enough to lift everything from the pot together. If you don't have such a contraption, by all means, simply drain in colander.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions until fragrant and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute. Add the drained white beans and toss together until the beans are heated through. Add the chicken and toss again. Season carefully and add the broccoli rabe and pasta. Toss until everything is combined. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil or a dash of butter to taste, if desired.

Reader Question - Light Pasta Dishes

Katie from Richmond asks...

 

"I love pasta dishes for dinner - usually with a marinara or vodka sauce, and a meat - but since it's summer I would like to lighten up my pasta dishes. What ideas do you have? They can be hot or cold recipes."

Katie, you should definitely check out my Mediterranean pasta salad. From there, take a look at the rest of my pasta dishes. There are 9 or so and they're mostly light and summer appropriate. I'd also suggest you look into some Asian cookbooks. I think that soba (Japanese buckwheat) noodles and Thai-style cellophane noodles are great in cold salads with just some thinly julienned vegetables tossed with peanut sauce or a little sesame oil.

For hot dishes, why not make a big batch of pesto sauce? You can keep it well in the fridge or freezer and enjoy the seasonal basil for months to come. Experiment with different pesto sauces, as well. Throw in some sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers. Use walnuts or almonds instead of pine nuts. Add arugula or parsley to the basil, switch up the hard Italian cheeses that you use. It's a fun way to create something new. Don't forget to tell me if something wonderful comes out of your kitchen experiments!

Finally, you can toss boiled pasta with any wilted green for a light summer supper. I recommend kale, broccoli rabe, or even spinach. A squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil finishes the dish with brightness and flavor without filling you up with all that sauce.

Seafood with Linguine

Inspired by my last post, I wanted to share this decadent pasta dish with you. It is heavy on seafood, and a little expensive when it comes to ingredients, but well worth it. If you're looking to feed a crowd, here's the best bet for a delicious alternative to the weekend roast.

Seafood with Pasta and White Wine Butter Sauce
Serves 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

• 1 lb shrimp, 21-30 count, peeled and de-veined
• 1 lb littleneck clams, or other small steamer variety, brushed clean
• 1 lb mussels, also brushed clean and beards pulled off
• This process means carefully pulling off the seaweed-like attachment found at the opening of some mussels, called a beard
• 1/2 lb squid (calamari), cleaned and sliced
• Make sure there is no beak in the squid, and this is a time that you could use thawed, previously frozen calamari, but not breaded
• 1 lb linguine pasta

In a large pot, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of white wine to a boil. Add the clams. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the mussels. Cook another 2 or 3 minutes before adding the squid. Allow to steam another 2 or 3 minutes before adding the shrimp. Cook 2 or 3 minutes more, and set aside.

For the Sauce...

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter (4 oz.)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup seafood stock (easily made from the shells of the shrimp)
• 2 tbsp shallots, minced
• 1 tbsp garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium heat with the olive oil and add the shallots. Cook until softened.  Add the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes and then add the lemon zest. Cook one more minute and add the wine. Reduce by about half. Add the seafood stock. Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to high and cook for 5 minutes. Add the parsley. Taste for seasonings, adjust to your taste, and serve tossed with the pasta and seafood prepared above.

Broccoli Rabe with Pasta

We eat a lot of pasta in our house. I love that it's quick and filling but never lacking in flavor. It is always fun to toy around with the ingredients, add flavors and sauces, and even adjust cooking techniques. This particular recipe is a fabulous vegetarian option, and can even be made vegan by the elimination of the butter and cheese. Some people find broccoli rabe to be too bitter. To them, I say substitute broccoli or spinach, or even kale or swiss chard. There, you suddenly have 5 recipes in one post. I'm getting the hang of this!

Broccoli Rabe with Pasta
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

• 1 lb thin spaghetti pasta
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, divided
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch, roughly 1 lb or so, broccoli rabe, cleaned and ends trimmed
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and half of the butter over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, until the leaves have wilted.
Add the garlic and pepper flakes. Toss together and cook for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Toss the remaining butter with cooked pasta and broccoli rabe until the butter is melted and vegetables evenly distributed through the pasta. Add the lemon zest, juice, and parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

Firecracker Angel Hair

This pasta dish is light, totally vegetarian, budget-friendly, and packed with flavor. I love the versatility of pasta and was surprised how satisfying this dish was despite the lack of protein. I like, but don't love most tomato sauces so I wanted something different. I am a huge fan of spicy food, so this flavor profile hits many of the same notes as a really heavy Cajun or Thai dish but is no where near as complicated or time-consuming.

Firecracker Angel Hair Pasta
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes 
Cook time: 20 minutes

• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 4 chopped scallions

Heat the oil and butter together over low heat. Add the pepper flakes and garlic and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until the garlic is soft. Be very careful not to burn the garlic.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions, using 1/4 cup of salt per gallon of water. More can be used, depending on taste. Salt does not dissolve well in the fatty oil and butter, so this is the only way to introduce that layer of flavor.
Turn the heat on the sauce to medium high and immediately toss with the drained pasta and sliced scallions. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Style Pasta Salad

This is a great mayo-free pasta salad that's packed with flavor but doesn't put you in a food coma. I really miss picnics and spring as winter continues to batter me wherever I go. This is a great springtime treat that pairs well with grilled food, especially chicken, or stands alone as a light and delicious lunch.

Mediterranean Style Pasta Salad

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Requires 4 hours to overnight to chill

• 1 lb tricolor rotini pasta, cooked al dente
• 8 oz. Greek feta, cubed, not crumbled
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups artichoke hearts, recommend packed in olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper  to taste

Carefully toss all ingredients together. Chill in the refrigerator or cooler for 4 hours to overnight.  

Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli and Chicken

I was discussing easy week-night recipes with a friend at brunch this morning and I was reminded of a fond pasta dish my mother used to make for me when I was younger. It has lots of variations, but I'll list my favorite here. 

• 1 lb. fresh or dried fettuccine pasta
• 2 tbs. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups heavy cream, or half and half
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Not to be a food snob, but this will simply not work if you use the Kraft brand from the green can. It has too much anti-caking agent in it to melt properly. Please, please use a basic grated parmesan from the cooler case in the dairy section if you are not in the mood to whir some reggiano or grana padano in the food processor.
• 2 six or eight ounce chicken breasts, bone in, skin on, roasted. See recipe below.
• Alternatively, you can shred the breasts and thighs of a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This is perfectly acceptable and delicious.
• 4 cups (roughly 1 head) broccoli florets
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  
• salt and pepper to taste

First, boil the pasta according to package instructions. For the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli florets. Drain carefully in a colander and set aside.


For the sauce, melt the butter in the bottom of a saucepan. Warm the cream or half and half on the stove, but do not boil. Add the garlic to the butter and allow to soften for 30 seconds or so. Add the flour. Whisk until combined, allow to cook about one minute. Whisk in the hot cream. Allow to come to a simmer, then whisk in the cheese. Stir until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Shred the chicken meat into large chunks or strips. Fold into the alfredo sauce. Toss the hot sauce with the pasta and broccoli. Serve hot in a large pasta bowl with lots of parmesan cheese on the side and a bright white wine.


Roasted Chicken Breasts

• 2, or as many as you'll need, skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and drizzle with olive oil. Season liberally and roast for 35-45 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in the middle of the breast. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving or cutting up for the recipe above.

It's Wednesday

And that almost always means that I'm making dinner for some friends. I decided on a whim last night that I'd create something Italian. Really, I'm re-creating something Italian. I've made it a few times before. It's a hybrid interpretation of two delicious pasta dishes I've eaten at Filomena's and Cafe Milano,  two of the finest Italian restaurants in Washington, DC. Both are located in the beautiful neighborhood of Georgetown.

Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

1 lb hot Italian sausage
1 lb sweet Italian or Sicilian sausage
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 large Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups Chianti wine
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups marinara sauce
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning blend
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

• Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces
• In a large, high-sided skillet, sautee over medium high heat in the olive oil until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes.
• Add the onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
  
• Sautee until softened and just slightly browned, about 20 minutes. Some sticking to the bottom of the pan may occur.
• Add two cups of Chianti. Reduce until thick, about 10 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of chicken stock. Reduce again, about 10 minutes.
• Finally, add the marinara sauce. Cover. Simmer over medium low heat for at least an hour.
• Serve over al dente spaghetti.
  

Something Quick for a Weeknight

My best friend in the entire world, who just recently announced her pregnancy, calls me at least once a week to ask for a quick meal idea to prepare for herself and her husband. It's always a flattering surprise, as she is quite an accomplished foodie herself. She and I first started cooking together our senior year of college, often over multiple bottles of cheap wine and with more than a few burned desserts. She abandoned me for Manhattan, where she really developed a palate for international cuisine, and an appreciation for quick, but delicious cuisine.

Here's a menu I suggested a couple of weeks ago. It may have been longer than that, before it started to chill down for the season, but I wanted to share. 

Sliced Steak au Poivre with Balsamic and Pomegranate Sauce

Last night we decided to pool together a few bucks in a tight economy and that I would put together whatever I could find on sale at the local Harris Teeter. I'm still honing the recipes, but I want to share the photograph of our creations.

I made New York strip au poivre, but in lieu of the traditional butter and cognac, I made a pomegranate and balsamic reduction. I confess I didn't get it perfect, but the flavors were there. The side was really delicious, but less experimental. I tossed buttered orzo with zucchini that had been steamed in chicken stock. I used the stock to deglaze the pan in which I cooked the steaks and then tossed it all with the pasta. I've done the same thing with broccoli and asparagus. I sliced the steak and layered it over crusty, toasted rosemary and olive oil bread that I'd scraped with a garlic clove. I drizzled with the balsamic and pomegranates. The multi-tasking led to a colder steak than I would have preferred, but I didn't want to risk overcooking the meat by holding in a warming oven. It was what it was -- and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

My next post will become a regular Monday feature -- a comprehensive article on a topic that interests me with regard to food. This week I will cover my approach to flavor. How to balance, mask, blend, and augment... Everything I've learned that I can think to put on paper. Stay tuned!

By Popular Demand... Macaroni and Cheese

By far, my most requested recipe is macaroni and cheese. I have been making it the same way since I was a kid, developing more sophisticated flavors with higher quality cheeses and tweaking the seasoning as I learned how to balance competing elements. My late mother taught me how to make good mac 'n cheese after I made one too many boxes of shells with that silver cheese sauce packet. I'm glad she did.

I must confess some chagrin when I discovered that a recent episode of Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics demonstrated an eerily similar version of my favorite comfort food. Ina Garten and I do have a similar point of view about eating and entertaining, but I want to make it clear that she's not the inspiration for what you're about to read.

Most of these ingredients are somewhat flexible, especially the pasta shapes and cheese selections. I always like to pair sharp cheddar and Swiss, but it's really up to you.

A variation that I still insist (tongue in cheek) that my friend Ina in the Hamptons must have "borrowed"  involves sliced, sauteed cremini mushrooms and crumbled slab bacon folded into the pasta and cheese. This makes it a meal in itself. Not diet food, for sure.

There is a breadcrumb, cheese, and butter mixture I've added on top, but after testing it dozens of times, I prefer to omit it. The flavor notes I prefer to highlight in this particular recipe are the bite of the garlic and cayenne and the mellow creaminess of the melted cheese. If you've never made a bechamel sauce before (the white sauce that is the base for the cheese), don't be intimidated. Just have a good whisk and a bit of patience.

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 6

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes 

1 lb of hollow noodles... I prefer this shape: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellentani

Elbow macaroni works, but doesn't come out quite as good. Penne, Rotini, etc... work fine

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups swiss cheese, grated

2-3 cups whole milk or half and half

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder (not garlic salt!)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper,  to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Boil the pasta according to package instructions, minus one minute, drain, do not rinse, set aside.

In a pot large enough for all the pasta and cheese sauce mixture, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter together with the flour. Whisk into a roux. Add 2 cups of the milk, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally to remove lumps.

When the sauce begins to thicken add the cheese. Stir constantly to avoid sticking and burning. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne until evenly distributed. Taste for seasonings. If it's too thick, add more milk. If it's too soupy, add more cheese.

When everything is a thick, cheesy mess... add the pasta and fold together, coating the pasta completely.

Pour the mixture into a casserole and bake for 30 minutes, until the top starts to brown.