Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

We've been trying to eat healthier - and to get back to the idea of menu planning. I find planning out meals for the week helps us to eat healthier because we have everything on hand for dinner, and avoid this all to familiar dialogue:

Me: "What do you want to do for dinner"
The Wife: "I don't care - I don't want to make a decision"
Me: "Does X sound good?"
The Wife: "No."
Me: "How about Y?"
The Wife: "Eww. No."
Me: "OK...why don't we just Go out/order pizza?"

So this past week, I planned out our meals, kept them all something simple that I could whip up after work. I did all of the shopping on the way home from work Monday night. It turned out great - we both ate healthier, and had a larger variety of foods than we would have normally eaten in the course of a week.

This is another recipe from Everyday Food's May 2011 issue. I liked this recipe because of the fresh greens, and the fact that it was a pasta recipe that didn't include a heavy sauce.
It turned out great - with a ton of flavor. I only made two small additions - I added a sliced shallot with the garlic and pepper flakes, and then topped it with fresh grated Parmesan right before serving.

Ingredients:
1lb box of Orecchiette
1 bunch of Broccoli Rabe - cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic cloves, sliced
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon of fresh Oregano
Juice of 1 Lemon

Directions:
This recipe goes quick - so have your prep work done ahead of time.

Bring your water to a boil and add your pasta. With 4 minutes to go, add the broccoli rabe to the pasta water.

Once you've added the broccoli rabe, heat oil, garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes over medium heat - just until garlic begins to brown and sizzle.

When your pasta is cooked, drain with your broccoli rabe and return both to the pot. Pour olive oil mixture over top and stir to coat - and season with salt and pepper.

Add your lemon juice and stir - and top with fresh oregano and freshly grated Parmesan.


An easy, healthy meal that's quick and full of flavor. Enjoy!

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