Spaghetti With Broccoli Rabe, Toasted Garlic & Breadcrumbs

blucoat's Note:

This is a quick and easy dish where just a few ingredients come together in a delicious and impressive dish. Another great recipe from Mark Bittman, printed in the New York Times (April 2009). Bittman recommends making homemade breadcrumbs by tearing up stale bread, then pulsing the pieces in a food processor to make coarse crumbs (nothing approaching a powder). You can use the same pot for cooking the broccoli and the pasta; and the same skillet for toasting the bread crumbs and finishing the dish.

• Total Time: 23 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 13 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• salt
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 3 -4 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
• 1 cup breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 lb broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
• 1 lb spaghetti or 1 lb linguine or 1 lb other long pasta
• fresh ground black pepper
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When oil is warm, cook garlic just until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bread crumbs and red pepper flakes and cook until bread crumbs are golden, 5 minutes or so. Remove and set aside.
2. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and chop. Cook pasta in same pot.
3. Meanwhile, add remaining oil to skillet over medium-low heat. Add broccoli rabe and toss well; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When it is warm add garlic and bread crumbs and mix well.
4. When pasta is done, drain it, reserving a little cooking water. Toss pasta in skillet with broccoli rabe mixture, moistening with a little reserved water if necessary. Adjust seasonings and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.