If you like briny flavors of lemon, olives and capers you’ll love this pasta. The contrasting flavors of peppery-bitter broccoli rabe, briny lemon, olives, capers, and herbs all coming together to make a wonderful plant-based pasta meal.
Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe and Olive Salsa
- 12 oz-1 lb broccoli rabe or regular broccoli, washed and trimmed
- 8 oz spaghetti or any long pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt
- 1 bunch about 4-5 green onions, sliced
- 3-5 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup pasta water
- SALSA
- 1 lemon, zested
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- 8 oz pitted green olives, halved
- 4 oz capers
- chopped chives
- chopped fresh parsley
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe, leave the rabe whole and blanch for 3 minutes, or until bright and tender.
- Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water. Let cool in the water for a few minutes. (reserve the boiling water)
- Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl and squeeze as much moisture out as possible. Once dry, roughly chop the broccoli rabe.
- Bring the water in the pot back to a boil, add another pinch of salt, and drop in the spaghetti. Cook for 1 minute less than the package’s instructions, stirring often.
- To make the Olive salsa, mix the chopped pistachios, caper, chives, lemon zest and lemon juice, season to taste and set aside.
- Heat a separate large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the green onions. Allow it to sauté for a minute or two. Stir in the garlic. Add 1 cup of pasta water from the pasta pot. Let this come to a bubble and cook for a minute or two.
- Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Fold in the chopped broccolini, green olives, and capers. Let it heat through.
- Serve spaghetti with olive salsa. Squeeze a little extra lemon juice and add a drizzle of olive oil to finish. Enjoy!
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