Recipe: Pasta with Pancetta, Capers and Broccoli Rabe

Pasta with Pancetta, Capers and Broccoli Rabe

I developed this recipe for Wine Guerilla's new cookbook, which emphasizes dishes that pair well with their California Zins.

Although most people think of pairing Zinfandel with meat dishes like grilled steak or Barbeque, I quite like it with hearty pasta dishes, such as this one. The ripeness of the Zin balances out the edgier flavors of the salty pancetta, the heat of the red pepper flakes and bitterness of the greens. To make a great vegetarian version that works equally well, omit the pancetta and add an extra teaspoon of capers. Enjoy!

Serves 4 as a second course.

1 box farfalle pasta

Sauce

2 to 3 slices pancetta
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed, tough stalks removed and chopped fine
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoons olive oil (best quality you can find)
1/4 cup Romano Cheese

Put water for pasta on to boil.

Fry pancetta in a large skillet. When done, remove from hear and drain on paper towels. Drain fat from pan, except for 1 tablespoon. (Vegetarians: Omit pancetta. Use 1 tablespoon olive oil here.)

Saute onion in skillet until it begins to turn translucent. Add garlic and broccoli rabe and cook on medium heat, adding a few splashes of water if garlic starts to burn. Cook until broccoli rabe is tender.

Return pancetta to skillet and add capers and pepper flakes. Turn off heat, drizzle the olive oil over the broccoli rabe, and cover.

Cook pasta according to the package instructions. When pasta is done, drain, add the broccoli rabe and Romano cheese, and toss well.

Kid Food: A Recipe for Chicken Soup

Cooking for my children gives me more pleasure than is probably healthy. Like most things about parenthood, it's ultimately more about me than them, but still, I feel a deep satisfaction when I get them to eat something warm and full of veggies and I’m not afraid to admit I sometimes feel a bit smug about this. But then I feel them pizza three nights in a row and I’m humble again.

Over the four years since I’ve had children, I have developed some rather good recipes that appeal to little ones—plain, but flavorful, small bite-size pieces, and a large amount of veggies snuck into the mix. Oh, and ideally the recipe should be fast--nothing like starving children to give you a migraine or sending you hitting the booze harder than normal. This soup actually uses boxed chicken stock, but if I have time, I usually make my own from left over roast chicken bones and old veggies and then freeze it for soups whenever I need it. (See, I *am* a little smug). I also added an optional half-cup of leftover pasta, which I always seem to have in the back of the fridge, in this recipe, but you don't need it.

Ingredients
2 boxes organic chicken stock (Imagine brand is decent)
I large organic skinless, boneless chicken breast
5 carrots, chopped into small rounds
3 celery stocks, chopped into small pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
1 large handful of parsley, tied with kitchen string
1 cup of any or any combo of the following frozen peas, fresh or frozen corn, fresh or frozen broccoli chopped into bite-size pieces, zucchini chopped finely, or any other veggies you have on-hand that your kids might like.
1/2 cup of leftover plain pasta, any shape, already cooked (optional)
Salt and pepper
Time: 30 minutes, from start to finish

In a large saucepan, add chicken stock, chicken breast (no need to chopped in yet), carrots, celery, onion, garlic and parsley. Bring to a boil and simmer until chicken is fully poached, about 20 minutes.

Remove chicken breast with a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board. Remove parsley and discard. Chop chicken into very small pieces and return to pot with vegetables and pasta, if using. Simmer everything until veggies are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6 kids. Especially good served with grilled cheese sandwiches.