Rapini With Garlic, Chile And Lemon Recipe
Tame a favorite fall vegetable
After opening a succession of Seattle restaurants–including the new Staple & Fancy Mercantile–chef Ethan Stowell has turned his attention to home cooking. In his just-released cookbook, Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen, the chef provides a roadmap for domesticating his best restaurant dishes. His straightforward recipes invite cooks to piece together a feast of shareable dishes like this bold rapini (aka broccoli rabe) salad. Stowell's preparation tames the vegetable's bitter bite without curbing its flavor. Serve it as a starter or side dish or–as in our favorite version–with a fried egg on top.
Recipe adapted from Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen (Ten Speed Press)
Rapini with Garlic, Chile and Lemon
Chef Ethan Stowell's recipe for rapini with garlic, chile and lemon from his new cookbook, New Italian Kitchen
Ingredients
- 2 bunches (about 2 pounds) rapini (broccoli rabe), thick stems trimmed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Remove the leaves from the rapini stems. Reserve the leaves for another use.
- Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, blanch the rapini just long enough to set the color and tame the bitterness, about 1 minute, then transfer to the ice bath to cool. Repeat with the remaining rapini, then drain and squeeze the rapini dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rapini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rapini is warmed through but still slightly crunchy, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Squeeze the lemon over the rapini and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.