Roasting Peppers 101

In my family we try our hardest to keep the Italian tradition. My mom has continued to teach me cooking traditions that were taught to her when she was growing up. In the Fall, we usually buy a bushel of peppers at the local farm and  dedicate a day to roast our peppers outside on the barbeque. We have an assembly line to clean, season and preserve the peppers. We also cut up raw peppers, bag and freeze so we have peppers readily available and at a fraction of the cost.

Another family event that we do to keep our traditions and family ties strong.

It is now spring and have run out! I haven't had a chance to take out my barbeque so I've decided to roast my peppers which is just as yummy. Great as a side dish, or a topping in a sandwich. Veal on a bun perhaps?




Roast your pepper until well cooked

Split, remove seeds and peel. Be careful, it's hot!


 

Slice peppers and wash (to remove remnant seeds)

Season with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Orecchiette Con Rapini a Poor Man's Dish

Pasta with rapini (broccoli rabe) is my family's all time favorite. For some reason my children are not fond of tomato sauce pasta. They prefer this dish and I'm happy for that because it's so quick and easy to make. Considered a poor man's dish in the Italian culture this dish is truly a comfort food in our home. I purchase rapini a few bunches at a time. I then wash, trim the ends, cut and boil. Once cooled I  place the rapini in baggies and freeze so it's ready when I need it. I also sauté rapini with a bit of olive oil, salt and garlic and serve it as a side dish with meat.

If you do not have orecchiette, penne would be a good substitute.

Orecchiette Con Rapini

Pasta Con Rapini

1 bunch                 rapini (broccoli rabe) boiled and chopped**
2                           garlic cloves, minced
1 pkg  (450 gr)     orecchiette or penne
4 tbsp.                  olive oil
1 tsp                     salt

Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Remove once cooked and drain water reserving 4 tbsp. of the water.

Boil the pasta until al dente or the texture suits your palette

 

 

Sautee the minced garlic with the olive oil until light golden. Add the rapini and cook for a good 10 minutes. Add salt to the rapini and stir.

Sautee the rapini with olive oil and garlic

Add the pasta and reserved water to the rapini and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. If you feel the pasta is a little dry, add more olive oil, stir the pasta mixture to evenly distribute.

Add the pasta and reserved water to the rapini

Serve with parmesan cheese.

**boil the rapini for 30 minutes or until tender. I like to boil the rapini really well to get rid of the bitterness of the vegetable.


Buon Appetito!