This is my go-to easy dinner, but I love it for lunch the next day and even for breakfast. It is flavorful and the bitterness of the greens with the richness of the sausage makes for a luxuriant, tasty, and still healthy meal.

1 bunch of Rapini
1/2 pound of Italian sausage
water to blanch rapini and boil pasta
pasta any shape (orrichiette is traditional)
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup stock (any)
red pepper flakes (optional)
(1 or 2 tablespoons of good olive oil
cheese for sprinkling on the finished dish, parmesean, pecorino romano, ricotta salata, all are good)

Gently brown the sausage in a skillet. Sliced sausage or loose sausage, either is fine. Drain fat if necessary and add the garlic, either sliced or grated. Add the chili flakes and chicken stock. Keep warm on a low heat.

Wash the Rapini and trim off the tough ends. Roughly cut the Rapini into inch long pieces. Bring the water to a boil, add a little salt and blanch the Rapini for a few minutes to make it tender and help retain its dark green color. Don't overcook as it will cook again when combined with the pasta.

Remove the Rapini from the boiling water with a sieve or spider, keep the water to boil your pasta. Bring the water back to a boil and add the pasta, cook until tender. Drain the pasta and put back in the empty pot with the burner turned off, there will still be

Now add the sausage, garlic mixture from the skillet. And maybe a drizzle of olive oil. Stir all together and let the pasta soak up some of the stock.

Serve with a sprinkle of cheese and a glass of rustic red wine.

Andy Boy

Seeds From Italy
quick to grow
constant supply

1 or 2 teaspoons canola or peanut oil
1 bunch of Rapini
1/2 pound of Shitake Mushrooms (optional)
1 clove garlic
2 or 3 slices of fresh ginger (about the size of a quarter)
soy sauce to taste
1 or 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
Sesame Seeds
1 or 2 teaspoons Chili Paste with fermented black beans (optional)
2 or 3 chopped Scallions

Wash the Rapini and trim off the tough ends. Roughly cut the Rapini into inch long pieces. Bring the water to a boil, add a little salt and blanch the Rapini for a few minutes to make it tender and help retain its dark green color. If I have nice tender rapini from the garden I don't even do this, I just wash it and go to the next step.

In a skillet, over med-hi heat, saute the garlic and ginger in the canola oil. Add the rapini and mushrooms and stir fry until tender. Turn off the heat, and add the chili paste, soy sauce and sesame oil. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Enjoy!