Broccoli rabe (cime di rapa) can be a polarizing vegetable as it runs on the bitter side, but I find that if you counter it with a salty fat, aka cheese, and a bit of acid, then it is actually quite enjoyable. This dish is finished under the broiler to get some char on the broccoli rabe and crisp up the cheese a bit. It’s kind of hard not to fight for that top layer of crunchy broccoli rabe and melty cheese (the best part about testing this alone was that I got to eat the whole top layer).
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 4 cups water
- 1 pound dried whole wheat or farro penne
- 1 pound, 5 ounces chopped broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups) or 10 1/2 ounces chard or cavolo nero (lacinato kale), leaves removed from stems, cut into 1-inch ribbons (about 3 cups)
- 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano, plus more to serve
- Zest of 1 lemon
