Farfalle with Broccoli Rabe, Garlic and Almonds

My summer course started yesterday. So, of course, on Monday I woke up with a bit of a sore throat that has developed into an icky summer cold. Yesterday, after lecturing for two hours, I came home to crash on the couch and then sleep for eleven hours. Hopefully I'll be able to shake this thing soon. I'm not exactly at my most productive right now.

I am being productive today by finally posting this delicious recipe I made last week. When I made my usual stop at the farmer's market on Friday, I visited the ladies at the Cedarville Farms stand. Instead of the spinach I'd hoped to get from them, I found little bouquets of broccoli rabe. While I've had broccoli rabe before, I've never cooked with it myself. Always up for the challenge, I bought a bunch assuming I'd fit it into my weekly menu somehow.

I ended up making it for lunch that day, with some leftover farfalle, some garlic scapes from my freezer and toasted sliced almonds. I know I impressed Jeff, who wasn't expecting to come home to such a gourmet-looking dish. It tasted as great as it looked. The broccoli rabe was a bit on the bitter side, but the blanching and the red wine vinegar balanced it out. If it's still available this week, I'll be sure to grab more for another tasty lunch!

Farfalle with Broccoli Rabe, Garlic and Almonds
Loosely adapted from the Broccoli Rabe with Garlic recipe in Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy.

4-5 oz whole wheat farfalle
1 bunch broccoli rabe
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp garlic scapes
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/3 c sliced almonds, toasted


Cook the pasta according to package directions.

In the same pot, blanch the broccoli rabe for about 5 minutes (nearly all of it remained floating at the top of my pot, so it was easy to scoop out with a slotted spoon without disturbing the pasta below).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add the broccoli rabe and stir to coat with the garlicky oil. Drizzle with vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta and almonds to the pan and stir to combine (you may want to reserve some pasta water to add as well, to make it saucier, but I found the water left clinging to the farfalle was sufficient). Enjoy!