During Lent all Catholics from the ages of 14 & older are to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday & all other Fridays of Lent. As a kid I never really understood this church law, it didn’t make sense to me. I just did what I was told so I wouldn’t be a sinner.
On most Fridays during Lent my mother would make some sort of pasta.
When I got home from school on those afternoons, I knew just by the smells what we were having for dinner. There is nothing like the smell of garlic browning in hot oil. Orecchiette with broccoli rabe & cannellini beans was one of the dishes she would make & one of my favorites. Orecchiette in Italian means little ears, which refers to the shape of the pasta.
I think most people know what broccoli rabe is or rapini as it’s know in Italian. It’s a leafy green that has flowery buds & a bitter yet peppery taste. I know some people don’t like it because of it’s bitterness but for me, the more bitter the better!
I still abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent. It’s not because I think I’m going to sin, but because I have visions of Sister Mary Margaret hitting me with a yard stick if she found out I ate a hamburger. Old fears never die!!
Gustatela!
D I V A
continuare per la ricetta>>
This looks really good – but how do you get the broccoli rabe to not taste so bitter??
Broccoli Rabe in general has a bitter taste. I noticed that I can buy 2 heads & 1 will be more bitter than the other. The best way to cook the broccoli to make it less bitter is by boiling it. It will draw the bitterness out. I hope that helped you.