I first heard about this idea from a friend who told me about a pizza house in Chicago that makes a pizza using sausage as a crust. Wow! What an idea.

First off, let me tell you why I chose broccoli rabe as my first sausage crusted pizza.

It marries well. Remember this dish with Baked Italian sausage and broccoli rabe or this dish with added orecchieti pasta.

I also made a kale pizza, tomato sauce pizza and a sausage crusted brussels sprouts pizza, because the possibilities are endless. Greens love sausage and broccoli rabe with its slightly bitter taste delivers a punch of a bite.

How to Prepare Sausage as a Pizza Crust

Add nothing. you need no binders as the fat helps to caramelize the sausage enough to keep it together. You will need a flat surface to bake the sausage in. I started with a 13 inch griddle and then as it shrunk about an inch on all sides, I transferred the cooked sausage onto a smaller 10 inch griddle.

You can use either a large flat cast iron griddle or a sheet pan. Using a piece of parchment paper (or plastic wrap), you can roll it out as thin as you can without getting holes. You have to roll in in the baking dish. Use the parchment on the top as the sausage will stick to your rolling pin.

The sausage will shrink at least an inch around on all sides. Once the sausage is baked for about 15 to 20 minutes, use paper towels to sop up the grease it leaves. This also helps to reduce some of the fat and the calories.

It all starts with sautéed broccoli rabe, the mysterious dish I’ve showed you how to make here.

How do You Cook broccoli Rabe?

Let me remind you that broccoli rabe is not a type of broccoli.  It is related to mustard greens. It’s beautiful and has a somewhat bitter taste which is balanced perfectly with olive oil, garlic, pecorino and chili flakes. It’s only made better with Italian sausage.

Use any sausage you like for sausage crusted pizza

I use spicy Italian pork sausage, but you can use any kind of sausage (turkey or chicken sausage, etc.). The spicy gives a nice kick because we are not adding any other meat to the top. Some choose to add some chopped pepperoni, and I’ll explore that at another time.

There is no tomato sauce when using broccoli rabe, but I will bring you another post with my quick and easy pizza sauce that doesn’t come out of a jar.

What cheese to use for sausage crusted pizza?

I use mozzarella with a smattering of pecorino romano when I make broccoli rabe. This makes for a very balanced bite and I like the sharpness of the pecorino, a salty, tangy sheep’s cheese.

How many Carbs are in Broccoli Rabe?

There are six net carbs in four cups of cooked broccoli rabe, making the entire pizza about 6 net carbs.

Use Kale or sautèed brussels sprouts instead of broccoli rabe. 

If you can’t find broccoli rabe and want a green sausage crusted pizza, sauteed brussels sprouts or kale works well. You don’t have to cook the kale. What you need to do is cut into small pieces, toss with a little olive oil, pecorino, red chili flakes, lemon and salt and massage. Place on top of the sausage, followed by mozzarella. Serve with more pecorino.

If you want to use brussels sprouts, I have that idea here.

You can, of course use tomato sauce and cheese for a traditional approach, and I’ll bring you that recipe separately with my homemade twenty minute pizza sauce.

Add an Egg 

I like to add an egg sometimes. Make sure your egg is warm enough by setting it in warm water first or else it won’t get done when the cheese is done. You’ll bake the pizza between seven and ten minutes. Make sure to put the pizza in the top third of the oven.

How Many Carbs in Broccoli Rabe Sausage Crusted Pizza?

If you’re worried about the fat in the sausage, remember, you sop it up with paper towels making this a lot leaner and lower in calories than you might expect. If you’re on a low-carb diet, the entire pizza is 6 net carbs. 

Let me know if you make a version of this.

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Keto Sausage Crusted Pizza with Broccoli Rabe

Low Carb, Keto Friendly Pizza where Sausage is used for the Crust. Topped with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe and Mozzarella

Course Pizza

Cuisine Italian

Keyword broccoli rabe, Italian sausage, keto pizza, sausage crust

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 slices

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons pecorino grated
• 1.5 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Optional Egg

• 1 egg

Instructions

Make Sausage Crust

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sausage needs to be loose. If you have sausage links, remove from casing. spread out with fingers onto griddle or pizza pan. Use parchment paper or plastic wrap and rolling pin to roll out as thin as you can without forming holes. Place parchment on top of sausage and roll. You will not need any binders.
• Sausage will shrink about an inch all around. Form a sausage crust with your fingers the way you would a dough crust.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until sausage is browned.

Make Broccoli Rabe

• Trim ends of broccoli rabe stalk about 2 inches.
• Blanch in boiling water for five minutes.
• Drain, wipe dry with paper towels. Cut into 3 inch pieces.
• Heat oil in frying pan. Saute chopped garlic just until golden about 30 to 60 seconds, stirring.
• Add broccoli rabe and saute in olive oil for about five minutes.

Make Pizza

• Once sausage is cooked, sop up any grease with paper towels. I transferred to a smaller griddle at this point.
• Add broccoli rabe and a sprinkling of pecorino.
• Add mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. It may take longer if you add an egg.
• Serve immediately, cutting into six pieces.

Optional Egg

• If you want to do put an egg on the pizza, make sure it's warm enough. Sit egg in shell in warm water if necessary. If the egg is too cold, the mozzarella will brown before the egg is done.

The post Keto Sausage Crusted Pizza with Broccoli Rabe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

It’s so versatile, served often with greens, pasta, potatoes, or salads. The leftovers can be added to soups and frittatas.

We especially like oven-baked Italian sausage with broccoli rabe

I have a full tutorial here on how to prepare broccoli rabe.

1. It’s important to trim the stems, submerge in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes.
2. Drain and shock with ice bath to keep vibrant green color.
3. Sautè garlic in olive oil. Add chopped and drained broccoli rabe.
4. Red chili flakes and pecorino cheese are the perfect additions.

Sausage and broccoli rabe are often served with a pasta called orecchiette. This is my husband’s favorite dish.

Recipe here.

My personal favorite Italian sausage is from Whole Foods as they make it on premises, and we don’t have Italian markets here. This makes for a wonderful easy dinner full of savory flavors.

Oven Baked Italian Sausage Makes Cooking Easy

You can cook Italian sausage a few different ways, (on the grill, in a frying pan), but I like to just fork it allow steam to escape and place it in the oven. So easy! While the sausage is cooking for about twenty minutes, you can make the broccoli rabe.

Oven Baked Italian Sausage with Broccoli Rabe is an Easy Simple Feast

Such a simple meal feels like a feast. I can’t stress enough that broccoli rabe is not broccoli and does not taste like broccoli. It has a more distinct bitter taste that goes amazingly well with Italian sausage. Keep in mind that some foods are best as part of an orchestra. You may not like the solo, but the combination of the sausage and salty cheese makes for a perfect bite.

Pecorino Romano is our favorite cheese for broccoli rabe as it’s nutty, salty, and balances the bitterness. I like to shave it over the broccoli rabe while it’s still hot in the pan and have it melt a little.

The reason broccoli rabe loves Italian sausage is that it needs salt. Broccoli rabe is in the mustard family and the bitterness will be offset by salt, salty cheese and salty sausage, along with the red chili flakes.

You can change this recipe a bit by serving the broccoli rabe and sausage with your favorite starch, pasta, rice, or crusty bread. You could also be inspired to serve broccoli rabe with meatballs (no sauce). You could add broccoli rabe and sliced sausage to this summer spaghetti.

Recipes like these are meant to be an idea, an inspiration to make food to your own tastes.

If you don’t want broccoli rabe, Oven Baked Italian Sausage goes wonderfully with kale. These are a few of my favorites.

Apple Kale Salad

Melted Tuscan Kale

Tuscan Kale Salad

More recipes with Italian Sausage from Spinach Tiger

Italian Sausage Soup

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage Ricotta Frittata

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Broccoli Rabe with Italian Sausage

Oven baked Italian sausage with broccoli rabe.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 4 sausage Italian Sausage
• 1 to 2 bunches of broccoli rabe see notes
• 2 to 4 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
• olive oil for sautéing
• sea salt for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated or shaved pecorino romano cheese

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Fork the sausage a few places so steam escapes in oven.
• Place in oven proof baking dish or cast iron pan.
• Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
• In meantime, trim broccoli rabe stems.
• Blanch in boiling water for five minutes. Drain and place in ice bath for few minutes to cool and maintain color.
• Drain again, chop. Set aside.
• Heat frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Sautè garlic in oil until near golden. DO NOT BURN.
• Add in broccoili rabe. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for just a few minutes to saturate the flavors.
• Top with Pecorino Romano and crushed red pepper flakes.
• Serve with sausage.

Notes

Broccoli rabe reduces quite a bit.
One bunch will feed two people.




The post Baked Italian Sausage Recipe with Broccoli Rabe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

It’s easy to put together and I’m so in love with everything sheet pan lately. I’ve made entire meals using either my stone sheet pan this aluminum sheet pan, roasting everything at once. Then I got this wild idea to make a sheet pan pizza.

I used my alumium sheet pan because I took my oven up to 550 degrees. You don’t have to do that. You can make this pizza at 400 or 450 degrees, but it may take a little longer to bake. I love this stone baking sheet and it will go up to 450 degrees. I bake or roast every day in the stone sheet pan.

I use store-bought dough which is about 16 ounces, and I stretch it thinly in the pan. It does not have to reach the sides. We love thin crust, and I try to get it as thin as possible without making holes.

I have a few pizza secrets for easy sheet pan pizza.

1. If you don’t have time to make homemade dough, use store bought dough (read below to see my favorite).
2. Use pizza sauce sparingly.
3. Scatter your toppings.
4. Go light on cheese when using fresh mozzarella.
5. Go ahead and mix your meats. We love Italian sausage and pepperoni, but we scatter instead of layer.
6. Allow ingredients like cheese to come to room temperature so everything bakes evenly.
7. Put fresh herbs such as basil on pizza when it comes out of the oven. 

My Favorite Store Bought Pizza Dough for Sheet Pan Pizza

When you need to make a lot of pizza use a grocery store dough. One batch fits the sheet pan almost perfectly. After testing out a few, Trader Joe’s pizza dough is my favorite and this is not a paid post. It doesn’t have the same elasticity of Publix dough, but it’s much easier to work with and more consistent in baking.

My Favorite Pizza Sauce for Sheet Pan Pizza

My second secret is to use pizza sauce sparingly. An overload of sauce won’t allow the crust to brown properly and it’s not necessary. Think of the pizza sauce as more of a condiment for your toppings. I use a high quality brand of tomato puree, add a tad of olive oil, salt, pepper and sometimes some fresh oregano. That’s it. It’s clean, simple.

A cooking tip regarding pizza sauce  is simply to save some of your tomato sauce from this basic tomato sauce recipe when you make spaghetti and freeze it for the future. A sheet plan pizza doesn’t need more than a cup of sauce.

Scatter Your Toppings for a Sheet Pan Pizza

Forget all that heavy layering that the pizza delivery companies do. They are trying to show value, not necessarily good taste.  That’s no way to enjoy pizza. Scatter your toppings so that each bite of pizza gives you something different. It’s a more authentic way to make Italian pizza and it will bake better.

How to Cut Sheet Pan Pizza

Here is a sheet pan pizza I made with sausage and red onion. So good. Cut down the center lengthwise and cut into triangles.

So tell me are you into the sheet pan trend for making easy meals?

Lets connect on Instagram.  I’d love to see you there.

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Sheet Pan Pizza with Trader Joe's Pizza Dough

How to Make Sheet Pan Pizza with seven tips including my favorite pizza crust.

Course Pizza

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 16 ounce pizza dough
• 1 cup easy pizza sauce
• 2-3 cups fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup broccoli rabe recipe here
• 3 links Italian Sausage cooked, crumbled
• 2 ounces pepperoni cheese
• cornmeal for bottom of pan

Easy Pizza Sauce Ingredients

• 1 small can high quality tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• dash salt pepper
• fresh oregano

Instructions

• Take pizza dough out of refrigerator at least 60 minutes in advance.
• Preheat oven to from 450 to 550 degrees
• Sprinkle sheet pan wth corn meal (to prevent sticking.)
• Stretch dough out on sheet pan.
• Spread pizza sauce lightly, leaving room for crust.
• Place sausage, broccoli rabe and pepperoni in scattered way.
• Bake in lowest rack of oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Pizza Sauce Instructions

• Heat tomato puree with olive oil, salt, pepper.
• If you have fresh oregano, add that in.
• You can substitute with a dash of oregano, but I usually don't like that heavier taste.

More Pizza Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Thin Crust Pizza with Homemade Dough

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pizza with Video

Peach Pizza on the Grill

The post Sheet Pan Pizza with Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Let me tell you how to cook the best broccoli rabe. It’s an Italian favorite and one I did not grow up on. It came as a surprise to me that I would embrace broccoli rabe, as it is not broccoli, does not taste like broccoli, and takes a paradigm tasting shift to appreciate it. It’s in the mustard green family and  has that bitter (but not unpleasant) taste that marries perfectly with garlic, olive oil and a bit of salt and crushed red pepper.

Once you understand that broccoli rabe is supposed to bitter and needs certain ingredients to make it shine, you will love it.

We love it on pizza. I made this sheet pan pizza. 

We love it on this pasta dish. Broccoli rabe is most often eaten with orecchieti and a good serving of pecorino romano.

Love it in a sandwich.

Love this broccoli rabe recipe all by itself.

This broccoli rabe recipe is perfectly balanced and has that umami component that makes you want more.

Just for fun, I once paired broccoli rabe with homemade chocolate pasta because I wanted to try something unique.

Broccoli Rabe Recipe Process

Buy broccoli rabe fresh. There should be no yellowing flowers.

Trim stems, submerge in boiling water for a few minutes, and then shock in ice bath to maintain that beautiful green color. At this point, you can refrigerate until you’re ready to sauté for later, or drain well and sauté in garlic and olive oil.

If you make this broccoli rabe recipe, please hashtag #spinachtiger. I would love to see what you do on Instagram. And, please let me know how you make it.

All my favorite things I actually own and use are at my Amazon Shop (Affilate) where I earn a small commission, and are divided by categories.

More Broccoli Rabe Recipes

More Vegetable Recipes

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How to Cook the Best Broccoli Rabe Recipe

Broccoli Rabe, an Italian Green Vegetable with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, great on pasta, pizza in sandwiches or a great side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe
• 2 cups ice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Wash, rinse, trim about 2 inches of stems.
• Submerge in boiling water for 4-5 minutes until soft.
• Drain, put in ice bath to maintain bright green color.
• Cool, drain, pat dry with paper towels.
• Chop into one inch or less pieces.
• Saute garlic just until softened.
• Add in broccoli rabe.
• Saute for 2 minutes.
• Add red pepper flakes.
• Season with salt and pepper.

This site contains affiliate links which earn a small commission. Read more on this disclosure.

The post How to Cook the Best Broccoli Rabe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The mere thought process that went into figuring out a bronze and red color scheme that looked like peeled paint that had been there for hundreds of years was daunting because I had to get the colors mixed to match what was in the client’s mind. The worst case scenario was if something was already there and had to be removed, like wall paper or badly painted walls from sloppy contractors.

It would have been easier to start fresh, but rarely does one get to do that. And, even with newly built homes, there would be problems with improperly primed walls, badly installed drywall, etc.

I learned that nothing is every simple, even if it’s easy.

Spinach Tiger is moving to word press and this is why I haven’t posted in so long. We knew going in that the move would not be easy because no move ever is, but in the end it will be worth all the work.

The transition is a few weeks away and while I’m idling, I thought I would share another pizza recipe.

The Pizza
My last two pizza posts were fruity, but this is savory, salty and addicting. The combination of broccoli rabe and pancetta is just the thing when you want a real boost of flavor without a red sauce.

Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, should be a staple in every kitchen. It’s a green that is easy to cook and versatile. It’s probably one of the more misunderstood vegetables in all the American land and that’s all due to it’s name. It is nothing like broccoli in flavor or in the way it cooks. It’s in the mustard green family and it has that bitter (but not unpleasant) taste that marries perfectly with garlic, olive oil and a bit of salt and crushed red pepper. It can jump from a pasta to steak sandwich to a grilled cheese to a pizza in mere seconds and spark up your taste buds with flavor that has been described as pungent, tangy, bitter and nutty. We always buy two bunches because one never seems enough after taking that first bite.

Pancetta is an ingredient I thought I would not have to say much about, but according to the new Whole Foods in my area, it is no longer carried because they didn’t sell enough of it. That’s a culinary surprise and tragedy because they had carried the very best pancetta I ever tasted in Tennessee. (Disclaimer: you can still buy it there prepackaged and pre-sliced, but who would do that, as most recipes call for a dice not a slice.

If you can’t find pancetta, use bacon or a crumbled cooked Italian sausage. And, for the vegetarian, broccoli rabe can stand alone as the star ingredient.

This was made on the grill, but you can also bake your pizza in the oven, preheating a pizza stone and getting as high in temperature as your oven will allow.

Pizza Recipe

Tips for Cooking Brocolli Rabe
Trim the stems at least 1/2 inch from the end. I trim the stems all the way to the part where flowers and leaves begin. If you keep the stems, chop into 2 inch pieces and put into boiling water 3 minutes before adding in rest of broccoli rabe.

These are the stems you will need to discard. They will remain stringy and chewy, unlike broccoli.

Season properly. The bitter and pungent flavor needs accessorizing. Garlic, salt, and heat achieve this. Some even use anchovies in their base to get that saltiness. I prefer the use of pecorino romano (which is a very salty, yet creamy grating cheese).

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Pizza with Pancetta and Broccoli Rabe

A thin crust pizza with pancetta and broccoli rabe with an amazing pizza crust adapted from Marcella Hazan.

Course Pizza

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 8 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• pizza dough
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe
• olive oil enough to cover bottom of pan and more for adding in later
• 1-2 cloves thinly sliced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup pancetta diced
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese grated or crumbled
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Prepare pizza dough.
• Preheat grill a high as you can get it or put pizza stone in oven and preheat at 450 for 30 minutes.
• Rinse and trim stems up to leafy area. Discard bottom inch of stem. You can maintain stems, by cutting them in 2 inch pieces and cooking a little earlier. I usually don’t keep stems. . If you keep the stems, chop into 2 inch pieces and put into boiling water 3 minutes before adding in rest of broccoli rabe.
• Submerge in large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Place in ice bath to keep green color, while preparing next step.
• Saute pancetta in medium heat frying pan until fat in rendered and it’s is cooked through. Remove from pan and use same pan to saute broccoli rabe.
• Saute garlic in same pan used to cook pancetta. Drain broccoli rabe and cut into 3 inch pieces and saute for a few minutes. Add red pepper flakes and salt to taste.
• Assemble pizza.
• Roll out dough to the size of dinner plate. Arrange mozzarella cheese, pancetta, and broccoli rabe.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until bottom is crisp.

The post Pizza with Pancetta and Broccoli Rabe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Do you know what broccoli rabe is? It’s not broccoli. And, it’s not broccolini. It is, however, also known as rapini. A few years ago, I didn’t know that it existed. And because of that, the first time I ordered it, I didn’t like it.

Naively, I was expecting the milder and different taste of broccoli, and not the slight bitterness resembling a mustard green. I had an anticipated perceived taste in mind, but, had I known this was a horse of another color so to speak, I would have been charmed by the dish.

Broccoli rabe does resemble broccoli, but is not related to broccoli at all.

It’s taste is more similar to mustard greens or turnip greens and has even been referred to turnip broccoli. Once you realize this is not broccoli, you can enjoy this new flavor because unlike broccoli, which can be a little bland, broccoli rabe has a bite of flavor that brings you back for more.

Broccoli Rabe with Orecchietti Pasta is a healthy, hardy comfort food dish with umami flavor.

Greens with a bitter taste are offset best with hot chili pepper or red pepper flakes just like this dish of dandelion greens and pasta. There is an incredible satisfaction when eating broccoli rabe. It sets off a desire for us to want it again the next day, so once I do a broccoli rabe dish, I’m back in the store the next day buying it again.

The other common name for broccoli rabe is rapini and is often paired with orecchiette (a small pasta made with the thumb), which is featured here with red pepper flakes, garlic and lots of authentic pecorino Romano cheese.

This is the dish that helps to reset the palate. I can’t explain the draw on the taste buds, but it does something else. It feels good and even cleansing. There is a pow to the flavor centers that is perfect for this time of year, after all the sugary cookies, heavy meals and one too many cocktails.

If you have never eaten or cooked broccoli rabe, make this the year to try new things, especially greens that increase your health and expand your palate. Just be sure to cook it correctly. It takes all of 5-8 minutes, but there are some tips you need to know.

My recipe for the best broccoli rabe is here. 

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Broccoli Rabe with Orecchietti: A Classic Pasta Dish that Leans Healthy and Hearty

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of broccoli rabe
• olive oil enough to cover bottom of pan and more for adding in later
• 3-4 cloves thinly sliced garlic
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup pecorino cheese grated and more for serving at table
• 1 pound pasta
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Rinse and trim stems up to leafy area. Discard bottom inch of stem.
• You can maintain stems, by cutting them in 2 inch pieces and cooking a little earlier. I usually don’t keep stems.
• Submerge in large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Place in ice bath to keep green color, while preparing next step.
• Boil pasta according to directions holding back the last three minutes.
• Slice saute garlic in olive oil in large frying pan (large enough to hold pasta.
• Add in pepper flakes and lemon juice. Add in Broccoli.
• Toss pasta into pan. Add more olive oil as necessary.
• Toss with pecorino cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately with more cheese and red pepper flakes at the table.

This site contains Amazon Affiliate links which earn a small commission.

The post Broccoli Rabe with Orecchietti: A Classic Pasta Dish appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Some of you are going to be appalled. But, some of you may applaud. Let’s see what category you find yourself in.

When I started this blog, I wanted to stretch myself, perhaps learn a few new things and exercise my creativity. Chocolate pasta is a stretch and it is creative, but the real test for getting out of the box is how to eat it. I wanted to jump out of that box and push that chocolate envelope.

There is no further push than broccoli rabe. Broccoli rabe also commonly called rapini. It is NOT broccoli, and is closer to the turnip. It’s bitter, but when combined with olive oil, garlic, salt, and dried chili pepper, it brings an “umami” type moment that makes you want that next bite and the next. It is an acquired taste, but one worth acquiring. To even further the depth of such flavor, I paired it with a homemade chocolate pasta. And, to make Mr. Spinach Tiger happier, some sausage found its way onto his plate.

Flavoring pasta
Making chocolate pasta is really quite simple. I have a standard pasta recipe that I always use when making pasta, no matter what type of flour I choose. Two eggs and one cup of flour. From there I add in extra flour as I need to.

I did not use a cocoa powder because that is bitter and I didn’t want to add sugar, but you could go that route. Instead I melted a semi-sweet chocolate and added it in after the second egg and then added in more flour as necessary.

Recipe for Chocolate Pasta with Broccoli Rabe (Use pasta recipe below)
Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli rabe
• 1/3 extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt, pepper
• red chili pepper
• 1 pound chocolate pasta (see below)
• Pecorino cheese (for topping, optional)

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Chocolate Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour plus 1/4 cup
• 2 eggs
• 3 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions

• Add in egg and mix with a fork. Add second egg.
• Add in cooled chocolate. Mix thoroughly with hands. It should be wet and sticky. Add just enough flour back in to bring it together. This requires a lot of kneading, and is best made with a kitchen aid or food processor.
• Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes wrapped in plastic.

Notes

Proceed as you would with any other homemade pasta. I used the atlas hand crank pasta machine to make these noodles.

The post Chocolate Pasta with Broccoli Rabe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.