Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • Red pepper chili flakes
  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe/rapini
  • 1 8-ounce hot sopressata salami
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 1 chunk ricotta salata or Pecorino Romano cheese, for grating
Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
 
Heat a few inches of water in a deep skillet and salt it liberally once it boils. Trim the rapini of its tough ends and chop the leaves and florets into bite-size pieces. Cook the rapini about 3 minutes in the skillet then cold shock and pat dry. Dump the water and wipe pan dry.

 
Peel the casing off the salami and grate it with a box grater.  Heat 3 turns of the pan of EVOO to the skillet over medium-high then add salami and stir 1-2 minutes to render and crisp. Add garlic and the rapini, season with salt and chili flakes to taste.
 
Salt the water for the pasta and cook pasta to 1 minute less than al dente according to package directions. Add 1 cup starchy cooking water to the salami and broccoli rabe, drain spaghetti then toss with rapini and salami. Wilt in lots of torn basil, top with cheese and serve.

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