Pasta with rapini is a quick and flavorful Italian comfort food recipe that requires minimal effort. It’s a vegan and family-friendly dish that can be made in under 20 minutes.
An absolutely delicious Italian Pasta recipe that is vegan, dairy-free, sugar-free and could be made gluten-free.
This broccoli rabe pasta features a sauce that is made by sautéing onions and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. The broccoli rabe is blanched and then combined with the onions and garlic in the sauce pan. The recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, and is enjoyed by both kids and adults.
Why we love pasta with rapini
- Perfectly cooked rapini: The broccoli rapini is blanched first and then finishes cooking in the pan with the onion + garlic. That way it doesn’t get overcooked. No mushy rapini.
- A super flavorful sauce: The sauce is created by adding in some spoonfuls of the starchy pasta water. This makes the sauce texture smooth and silky.
- An easy vegan dinner idea: This Italian pasta recipe is totally vegan.
- Gluten-free option: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta, as the sauce is naturally gluten-free.
What ingredients are in rapini pasta?
Made with a very short list of ingredients. The full printable recipe is below:
- Pasta – We used rigatoni. Another pasta like penne or mezze maniche, would work great. If you could fine orecchiette, they would be really nice with rapini.
- Extra-virgin olive oil– I used a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil in the pan.
- Onion- You could use sweet or Vidalia onion. If you have a shallot on hand, use that in place of the onion.
- Garlic –Fresh garlic is best. I do not recommend using garlic powder. I buy garlic cloves and grind them and store them in oil in my fridge. Which makes it easy to use for a quick recipe like this.
- Sea salt- I prefer fine sea salt for pasta recipes. You could use whatever salt you have on hand.
- Ground black pepper – Freshly ground pepper is ideal. Adding in a little bit of black pepper does add in some heat. Not as spicy as red pepper, but it is noticeable. So if making for kids, they may not like the spice from the pepper, you could leave it out for them.
Depending on who you ask. Some say it originated in China, and Italians also claim rapini as theirs. Rapini came to the States in the late 1920’s with the D’Arrigo Brothers, who were Italian growers.
It is called cime di rape in Italian, which translates to “turnip tops”. It is also called broccoleti di rapa.
There is no difference between those two names. It’s both the same vegetable. Rapini has other names like spring rabe, broccoletti, spring rabe, Italian turnip and Italian mustard.
Yes, it is! Rapini are packed with nutrients. They are full of vitamins and minerals, like magnesium, calcium, folate, sodium, folate, lutein, zeaxanthin, and Vitamin C, B6, D (and others).
Rapini is related to common broccoli, yet it is a much darker green with a bitter taste. The leaves are also edible.
Rapini has to be hand harvested. Instead of cutting the stalks, they are broken and wrapped, so it is very labor intensive to harvest them.
Yes, this pasta is totally vegan. If you sprinkle on some cheese, it will not be vegan.
Yes, it can! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta brand.
How to make broccoli rabe pasta?
Before you begin the recipe, gather your ingredients. This is a very easy Italian pasta recipe with a handful of ingredients.
Step 1: Start out by prepping the rapini.
Step 2: Fill a medium sauce pan with water and bring to a boil. Fill another large pot with water to cook the pasta. As soon as the water boils, add in the salt. Bring to another boil, and add in the pasta.
Step 3: Add the rapini to the other pot of salted boiling water. Cook until it is almost fully tender (4-5 minutes). Drain the rapini, squeezing out all the water.
Step 4: Heat a large saute’ pan over medium heat. Drizzle in the pan the olive oil (I used extra-virgin). Tilt the pan to distribute it around the pan. Add in the onion and cook until it is soft. Add in the garlic and cook for less than a minute. Do not let it brown. Add in the rapini.
Step 5: When the pasta is 1-2 minutes before al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and add immediately to the pan with the rapini. Stir to combine.
Step 6: Add in some of the reserved pasta water and some more olive oil. Stir to combine.
Step 7: Taste the pasta, add more salt, if needed, and grind on some black pepper (to your taste).
Step 8: Plate up the pasta. Drizzle on a little extra-virgin olive oil. Go ahead and add on some grated cheese, if you like. Keep it a vegan cheese, if you’re vegan/dairy-free.
Tips to make the best pasta with rapini
- Broccoli rapini- The rapini is the main feature of this simple sauce. First, you blanch the rapini and then you finish cooking it in the pan with the onion and garlic. If you don’t like the bitter flavor of rapini, use broccoli florets, as they are more mild and also delicious.
- Olive oil- Besides the broccoli, the olive oil is very important. It’s important to invest in a very good quality extra-virgin olive oil. You’re cooking rapini in olive oil and you drizzle some on top when it’s ready. Investing in a really good quality extra-virgin olive oil makes all the flavor difference!
- Pasta-We used rigatoni, but you could use any other short pasta. Orecchiette is really great with this sauce. Again, the quality of the pasta will make all the difference. It’s worth it to spend a little bit more on the quality of the pasta. Just be sure to cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than al dente. Add a timer so you can remember to check if it’s before al dente and and then add to the pan with rapini. The pasta will continue to cook it with the broccoli sauce.
- Spice-We used freshly ground black pepper, but if you like it hot, you could use red pepper flakes, fresh chili pepper (whole or sliced), or jarred Calabrian hot peppers.
Can you make this pasta ahead of time?
Yes, you could make this ahead of time. You could prep the broccoli sauce ahead of time (1-2 days ahead of time). When you’re ready to enjoy it, cook up the pasta and combine the pasta with the prepped broccoli.
How to store leftovers?
- To Store: Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- To Freeze: This pasta will not freeze and defrost well. I don’t recommend freezing it.
some other pasta recipes to enjoy:
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Pasta with Rapini
Pasta with rapini is a quick and flavorful Italian comfort food recipe that requires minimal effort. It’s a vegan and family-friendly dish that can be made in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 2 pounds broccoli rabe approximately 2 bunches, trimmed and washed
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped (sweet or Vidalia)
- 4-6 garlic cloves sliced or chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus salt for the pasta water
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper more to taste
Instructions
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For the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil (8 cups water ). When the water comes to a boil, add in the salt, and when it boils again, add in the pasta. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it’s just about al dente (check the time on your pasta box and set a timer, as you’ll be cooking it about a bit more than half of the boxes’ recommended cooking time).
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For the rapini: Meanwhile, while you wait for the pasta water to come to a boil, you could begin the sauce. Bring another pot of salted water to boil. Cook the rapini until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Drain in a colander, squeezing out any excess water; set aside.
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Start the sauce: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Drizzle in the pan 3 tablespoons of the olive oil (I used extra-virgin). Tilt the pan to distribute it around the pan.
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Cook the onion: Add in the onion, stir, and cook until soft. Add in the garlic and cook for less than a minute (you don’t want it to brown).
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Add in the broccoli: As soon as the garlic combines with the onions and is fragrant, add in the broccoli. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli softens a little. Add in a ladle of the starchy pasta water, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes.
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Add in seasonings: Sprinkle on the salt and pepper and stir.
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Drain pasta: When pasta is just before al dente,, drain (reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water). Add the pasta to the skillet with the broccoli sauce.
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Combine the pasta with the sauce: Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir to combine the pasta with the broccoli sauce (be sure not to keep it longer than 2 minutes, so the pasta won’t get over cooked and too soft). Add in a little bit of the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the broccoli sauce a bit.
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Check the seasoning: If needed, add more salt and some freshly ground pepper (to taste).
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Serve the pasta and broccoli sauce: Add the pasta to a serving bowl or platter. Drizzle on about 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
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Garnish (optional): To keep it vegan/dairy-free, sprinkle on some vegan parmesan. If you’re not vegan, sprinkle on some Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you like it spicy, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Olive oil: Use a very good quality extra-virgin olive oil. It really will make the flavor of the sauce so much better.
- Pasta: You could use whatever short pasta you enjoy. You could even make this with spaghetti. It’s up to you and what you prefer. We really like it with rigatoni.
- Rapini: You could replace the rapini with broccoli, broccolini, or even swiss chard.
Nutritional information: Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
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